IRISH GARDENING 



55 



form between tlie two— is a fine thnig, almost a 

 perpetual bloomer, and perfectly hardy. The true 

 V. CatarmctiK, I believe I am right in saying, 

 may be distinguished from the true Lyalli by its 

 leaves, which are narrow and very sharply 

 toothed, whereas those of the latter are nnich 

 rounder and much less indented. The large, 

 white, purple-veined flowers in both of these and 

 the form alluded to are l)orne in a most elegant 

 fashion on airy sprays rising clear of the foliage 

 from the terminal leaf axils. 



Near to the foregoing comes T'. BidwiUu. or 

 what usually passes for it— a tiny, creeping shrub- 

 ling, smaller than Lyalli in leaf, branch and flower. 

 a delightful subject for a fairly high, dryish 

 spot, where its pretty white, or pinky-white, 

 flowers can be seen to full advantage, and where 



tightly-packed clusters of little dowers. After this 

 manner, also, is 1'. carnosula, very formal in the 

 set of its uncompromisingly rigid and steely 

 foliage, together with some others whose chief 

 points of difference lie in the tinting of the leaves. 

 The sub-shrubljy V. sujatalis " needs no bush " 

 to those who have ever seen it. for the brilliant 

 azure blossoms, delicately lined with violet, and 

 with a pure white eye set in an iris of crimson, 

 above which rise the pale yellow anthers, are 

 among the most lovely of this fascinating race. 

 This is quite a lowly plant, hardly six inches, 

 and the loose-habited branchlets sprawl about in 

 a most graceful way. The leaves of V. sa.ratiUs 

 are a deep green, hard and thick, and in this 

 respect they are not unlike those of that other 

 very desirable little species, V. satureoides. This 



it will winter in safety. T. eporridea, a wee little 

 shrub with four-sided liranches of leaves which 

 turn inwards at the tips, so as to clasp the stem, 

 is also a delightful plant for a place near the eye, 

 Ijut its flowers are too small to add to the genera! 

 effect. 



Much after the same style as the last may be 

 mentioned a whole set of Veronicas, some quite 

 common, which grow their leaves in a more or 

 less scale-like manner. Among these is V. Herfovi, 

 with its rounded, polished stems; the prostrate 

 lycopodioides, which affects a four-sided arrange- 

 ment in a more pleasing green, the smoother and 

 more golden asfori, and cupiessnides. which 

 breaks away into something more akin to a bushy 

 little Cypress in a fresh moss green, the tiny 

 flowers being a pale blue. T'. Armstrongii looks 

 like an improved Hectori. the leaflets being more 

 expanded, the colour verging to a more golden 

 hue and the small blossoms blue instead of white. 

 In T'. f:artcorniuides (piopinqua) and Haastii we 

 have again the more open type of foliage, the 

 thick fleshy leaves, though closely crowded, stand- 

 ing out from the stems, which terminate in 



is also a true alpine Speedwell, with blossoms of 

 the same size as those of the above (half-inch 

 across), but of a more deep-toned blue set-off with 

 vermilion anthers. Both of these appear to enjoy 

 rather cool summer treatment. 



Another first-rate blue, with grey-green foliage,, 

 came to us under the name of T'. Whittali, but 

 beyond that I am entirely ignorant as to its 

 identity. It is also a sub-shrubby, bushy little 

 plant of about nine inches high, not absolutely 

 hardy, and an excellent subject for an old wall, 

 into the interstices of which it will root, and thus 

 form a drooping mat of charming effect. 



Practically every one of the above Veronicas are- 

 surpassingly easy in any free soil. The great 

 majority of them are sun-lovers, regular and 

 abundant bloomers, and whilst they are resistant 

 to drought they do not mind our wet winters. 

 They are so easily propagated that it is easy ta 

 keep in reserve cuttings of any which appear 

 tender, and most of them come to the flowering 

 stage very quickly. 



A. T. Johnson. 



N. Wales. 



