IRISH GARDENING 



UXAI.l^ 



liNN'K.U'in LI.A KOSIJA AT (_'l.IFTON, DaLKEY, 



Co. Dublin. 



Some Alpines in a Dalkey Garden. 



OxALis ENNEAPHYi.LA is still Somewhat rare in rock 

 gardens, although its culture is not difficult, and 

 amongst choice plants it is pre-eminent for beauty. 



The variety rosra has blooms that are flushed 

 with a delicate pink. It does not seem to increase 

 so rapidly as the type, but otherwise it is a " good 

 doer." 



Like the type it comes from the Falkland Islands, 

 where it never gets sun-baked, and it should there- 

 fore be given a position where the contour of the 

 ground or adjacent rocks will shade it from the 

 sun during the hottest part of the day. Here it 

 has an eastern aspect at the bottom of a slope, 

 and rocks on the south and east partially screen 

 it from midday on. The flowers are sensitive to 

 atmospheric changes — so long as the sun .shines 

 they are open, but if rain comes they close up. 



It ripens seed fairly well, but so far I have not 

 succeeded in raising it from gathered seed, although 

 self-sown seedlings from the type have appeared in 

 most cases yards away from the parent plant. 



It can. however, be propagated by careful divi- 

 sion Avhilst the plant is at rest. A well-grown 

 rosette of Siij-ifrfKja lomftfolUi on the perpendicular 

 face of tlie rock work is one of the most striking 

 objects -in the rock garden. There is no risk of 

 confusing f>. IrnujifoliK with any of the big silvers. 

 The size of the rosette thickly packed with long, 

 narrow leaves, beautifully encrusted, which follow 



the face of tin- rock as if clinging to it, mark it 

 nut at once as a Suxifiiujt apart from all others. 

 The flower spike is .stitf, and la<-ks the gracefulness 

 of the fine forms of .S. ('(ityUilati pi/rdinitlalis, and 

 with many people tire chief beauty of S. lunuifoJia 

 ii found in its magnificent rosette. I'nfortunately 

 it dies after flowering, and jjroduces no offsets. It 

 comes freely from seed, but it hybridizes with 

 '■very silver and aizoon in the garden, so that it 

 IS no use relying on seed that has not been pro- 

 ticted against fertilization from other plants. 



The seedlings sliould l]e put into their permanent 

 (juarters whilst still small, say about the size of a 

 shilling. If larger it is difficult to get them into a 

 satisfactory position without injury to the leaves, 

 which are somewhat brittle, and if broken the 

 rosette will not develop, ,but will .split up. They 

 -linuld have a good root-run and lime in the soil. 



Tlie plant shown in the illustration measures 9 

 inches in diameter, and is one of a batch raised 

 trom seed — some of the seed may not germinate 

 until the second or even the third year, and it is 

 di-sirable to keep the seed pan on the chance of 

 irctting a second or even a third crop from it. 



The Italian ('cniipanulu Uoplij/lla is somewhat 

 li-ndei', and on that account is not very often seen 

 i[ gardens, though well grown specimens are fre- 

 |iu-ntly seen in cottage windows. It loves sun and 

 .1 dry place, but the latter is essential; it is damp 

 and not cold that is so fatal to many tender sun- 

 loving plants. Here it flourishes in an almost 

 \rrtical fissure in the natural rock (granite), and 

 icceives no attention save an occasional search for 

 woodlice during an extra spell of dry weather, 

 l^ast summer it was a glorious sight, clothing the 

 rock with a long sheet of large dazzling white 

 flowers in constant succession, and with prodigal 

 pi-ofusion tor several weeks. 



A vertical position will be found to be the secret 

 of success with ma.ny plants that usually prove 

 difficult or impossible on the flat or on a gentle 

 slope. 



.T. Harper Scaife. ■ 



Hardy Annuals. 



Not every one realises the value of hardy annuals 

 in gardens large or small. In large gardens much 

 dependence is placed on so-called bedding plants 

 requiring considerable accommodation and a 

 certain amount of artificial heat to produce plants 

 suitable for planting out in .Tune. The advantage 

 of bedding plants lies in the fact that they can 

 be put in immediately spring flowering plants are 

 over, and so there is little or no break in the dis- 

 play. Hardy annuals, on the other hand, if to lie 

 sown Avhere they are to flower, must be sown in 

 early April, when most spring flowering plants 

 are approaching the heyday of their beauty. Con- 

 sequently arrangements must be made to have 

 space vacant at that time for the reception of the 

 seed. 



It is not usual now to have empty beds or 

 borders in April since, without any heat at all, 

 many kinds of spring flowering plants can be 

 raised in the previous summer and planted in the 

 autumn. 



Wliere, however, herbaceous perennials are 

 grown, it will be found a convenient and useful 

 plan to supplement the display by sowing hardy 

 annuals between them, and the general effect of 

 the beds or borders will be very much improved. 

 Tall kinds, such as iMratcm aplrmlms, Lark- 

 spurs. Malopc grandiflora , Chrysanthemums of 



