40 



IRISH GARDENING 



fera variegata blends with such shrubs as 

 Escallonia philippeana, Drimys aromatica, Coton- 

 easter rugosa Henryii, Colletia liorrida, Hynie- 

 nanthera crassifolia, &c. 



Nandina doinestiea cannot be passed by ; it is 

 not often met with, but is it found tliriving here 

 along with Acacia nielanoxylon, Hakea salignia, 

 Teuci'iuni fruticans, Vibvirnum rhytidophylluni, 

 and Ilex insignis. The curious Notospartiuni 

 Carniichfelia3 — the pink broom of New Zealand 

 — is quite at home at Fota. And sheltered 

 by less valuable shrubs is that handsome 

 Magnolia Campbellii ; in the springtime I 

 had seen it with over one hundred flowers 

 open. Sophora tetraptera and the Chinese 

 rubber tree. Eucommia ulmoides, are also 

 found at Fota growing in company with 

 Quercus macedonica, Cupressus MacNabiana, 

 and C. Knightiana. The golden chestnut, Castanl 

 opsis chrysophylla, is a pretty tree. Osmanthus 

 Delavayii in pretty flower, Ilex latifolia, Olearia 

 macrodonta, Eugenia apiculata, Fagus obliqua, 

 Fagus asplenifolia, Saxegothea conspicua (Prince 

 Albert's Yew), Embothrium coccineum, with 

 many suckers, is a picture while in flower. 

 Viburnum Carlesii is asserting itself. Carpentaria 

 californica is a large plant. And now the walled 

 garden is reached by an avenue of Chaniserops 

 Fortunei and C. humilis, with a few Phoenix 

 senegalensis and P. canariensis quite at home, 

 dotted here and there. The walled gardens extend 

 to four acres, and are well furnished with wall 

 fruits. Peaches, with a glass coping only, were 

 a very heavy crop, while a long wall filled with 

 plum trees carrying a large crop was noted. No 

 emTsty spaces are found in this garden, as winter 

 and summer crops follow each other in quick 

 succession. Passing through finely made wrought 

 iron gates, a pleasure garden, enclosed by well 

 kept yew hedges, is entered. The mixed borders 

 are well filled and gay with various flowers, while 

 choice shrubs fill prominent places on an adjoining 

 wall, conspicuous amongst them being Ehyn- 

 cospermum jasminoides. Calceolaria violacea, 

 Cassia corymbosa, Fremontia californica, and 

 Indigofera Gerardiana. A formal garden bedded 

 with Verbena venosa, V. Miss Willmott, Begonia 

 Worthiana and Cannas is very striking by reason 

 of the stately Cordylines, C. australis, quite 

 30 feet in height, which have been established 

 here for years in large groups. 



The Rose garden is then traversed, from which 

 we enter a sunken Italian garden with paved 

 paths, having a fine old Italian marble well-head 

 in the centre. The effect is pleasing and old- 

 world like, and the beds have a quiet beauty all 

 their own. 



Such an establishment as Fota has the glass 

 department in thorough maintenance. The 

 Vineries were carrying enormous crops of grapes 

 at which most growers would shudder ; but " the 

 proof of the pudding is the eating," and Mr. 

 Beswick has turned out first class grapes for years 

 from these vines, at the same rate, and they are 

 even stronger looking now than they were ten 

 years ago. The varieties Black Hamburg and 

 Muscat of Alexandria are growing under the same 

 conditions of temperature, &c. The fig house has 

 a heavy crop, while the peach house had finished 

 its crop. Melons were carrying a second crop of 

 beautiful fruits, while the ])lant houses were full 

 of good stuff. Crotons of high colour. Gardenias, 

 Tabernsemontanas, Alocasias, Caladiums, &c., 

 filled the stove. The greenhouse was gay with 



Begonias, Fuchsias, Celosias, and Zonal Pelar- 

 goniums, while the pits contained hundreds of 

 winter flowering Begonias, Primulas. Cinerarias, 

 Cyclamen, &c., and large V>atches of winter- 

 flowering Carnations were standing outdoors 

 and growing sturdily. A large number of 

 Chrysanthemums are also grown for winter 

 decoration. 



My sincere thanks are due to Mr. Beswick for 

 enabling me to make these cursory notes. They 

 are taken as we met the individual plants, and, 

 do not represent by any means half of the horti- 

 cultural inhabitants of Fota. I mention this 

 as an apology and in the hope that the reader 

 who may not have been to Fota does not accept 

 these imperfect notes as fully descriptive of that 

 beautiful little island. 



The bamboo garden, which flanks along a 

 stretch of water at another jtart of the grounds, 

 was not entered at all, but it is kei)t in the same 

 state of perfection as Mr. Beswick does all the 

 work under his control. 



Uncommon Annuals. 



By .1. W. Besaxt. 



With the wealth of annuals now available it is 

 perhaps little wonder if some are less conimon in 

 gardens than others. For most gardens, such 

 popular kinds as Clarkias, Godetias, Larkspurs, 

 Sunflowers and many others provide all that is 

 wanted for a display or for cutting. 



There are, nevertheless, others of much beauty 

 well deserving of inclusion, and as many owners 

 of small gardens depend largely on annuals for a 

 sunimer disj^lay, it may be useful to note a few 

 of the less commonly grown kinds. 



The Argemones are Poppy worts of rather hand- 

 some appearance producing quantities of flowers 

 throughout the sunimer months. They prefer a 

 hot, sunny position in deep sandy soil, and may 

 be sown in April where they are to flower, though 

 in many places it is advantageous to give them a 

 start in a cold frame or greenhouse. Two or 

 three seeds should be sown in a small pot, the 

 resulting plants being turned out later on when 

 strong enough. 



A. grandiflora, which has large white flowers 

 and glaucous prickly leaves, is one of the best, 

 and usually grows over two feet in height. 



A. mexicana and A. ochroleuca are two yellow 

 flowered species, while A. hybrida provides 

 yellow and white floweis. All are from Mexico 



Collinsia verna and C.])arv^iflora are two pretty 

 blue-flowered annuals which come into bloom in 

 early summer. The former grows about nine 

 inches or so high, and the latter is a low-trailing 

 species. Both may be sown where they are to 

 flower. 



Crepis rubra is an attractive composite pro- 

 ducing large quantities of i)ink flowers in late 

 summer. It is quite a showy plant for the front 

 of a border, but not suitable for cutting, as the 

 flowers close u]) at night. 



Eucharidium Breweri, with i)urple and white 

 flowers, and E. concinnum. with deep pink 

 flowers, are two desirable mem))ers of the P]vening 

 Primrose family. They are particularly good 

 on light soils, and flower over a long period in 

 autumn, growing from a foot to fifteen inches 

 high. 



