IRISH GARDENING 



41 



Downingia pulchella is a pretty little annvial 

 of the Bellflower family. It grows about six 

 inches high, bears pretty blue fiowei*s with a 

 yellow eye. May be sown in the open or in ])ots, 

 and planted out. 



Hibiscus Trionum is a handsome Mallow-wort 

 with elegantly cut leaves and large yellow flowers 

 with ])urple centres. It is a showy and uncom- 

 mon plant, requiring a sunny position and rich soil. 



Leptosyne niaritiiiia is a handsome annual not 

 often seen. It likes an open suimy ])osition in good 

 soil where it will flower well into autumn. If 

 thinned out so that the jjlantswill be nine inches 

 apart, flne specimens 18 inches to 2 feet high will 

 result, each bearing numerous large yellow flower- 

 heads. 



Malcomia littorea 

 grows about a foot 

 high, and i^roduces 

 masses of rosy flowers 

 all summer. 



Omphalodes lini- 

 folia is a pretty an- 

 nual of the Borage 

 family, and bears any 

 amount of white 

 flowers over glau- 

 cous grey leaves. It 

 frequently sows itself 

 and comes up year 

 after year in the 

 same place. 



Papaver glaucum, 

 the Tulip Poppy, is a 

 bright showy annual 

 growing eighteen 

 inches high and bear- 

 ing handsome scarlet 

 flowers. 



Phacelia campanu- 

 laria, with large deej) 

 blue flowers, is a gem 

 among annuals, and 

 should be grown in 

 quantity for the ex- 

 quisite colour of the 

 flowers. 



Phacelia Whitlavia 

 is also good, but 

 rather taller, reaching 

 twelve inches or so. 

 The flowers are violet, 

 somewhat bell-shaped, 

 and very attractive also. 



Polygonum capitatum is a pretty little trailing 

 s])ecies bearing any number of small ])ink flower- 

 heads in autunin. P. orientale is a very useful 

 border ])lant. well worth ])lanting in groups. It 

 is best raised in a frame and i)lanted out. 



Sanvitalia procumbens is a bright, showy, 

 dwarf annual, flowering for a long while through 

 summer and autumn. It only grows about six 

 inches higli, and bears numerous yellow flower- 

 heads with black centres. 



Schizo])etalon Walkeri is a reiiiarkal)lc annua! 

 with fi'inged white flowers which ai'(^ fragrajit at 

 night. It grows about a foot high, an(l likes a 

 warm sandy soil. 



Sphenogyne speciosa, also known as Ih'sinia 

 pulchra, is a showy South African annual in the 

 way of the better known Dimorphotheca. The 

 flower-heads are buff with black centres, and a 

 warm light soil is essential. Seeds may be sown 

 outside in April or in pots, and planted out when 

 strong enough. 



Photo by'i 



LKPTOSYNE MARITIMA. 



Zaluzianskya capensis, also known as Nycterinia 

 is an interesting night, flowering annual with seen 

 ted white flowers. It grows about a foot high, and 

 should be raised in pots and planted out in May. 

 Callirhoe involucrata and Callirhoe lineariloba 

 are two North American plants which succeed 

 best treated as annuals, though perhaps strictly 

 perennials. They belong to the Mallow order, and 

 do best in a sunny position. In liabit they are 

 somewhat loose and trailing, but bear abundance 

 of flowers, the former crimson and the latter 

 white and lilac. 



Gilia dianthiflora. often called Fenzlia, is a 

 Iiretty little annual about six inches high. It is 

 delightful for sunny places, and produces any 

 quantity of rosy-coloured flowers. 



JIunnemannia fu- 

 maria^folia is a most 

 beaut if u 1 Poj > p y wort 

 with glaucous, tini'ly 

 cut, fumitory-like foli- 

 age. The large golden 

 yellow flowers are very 

 handsome surmount- 

 ing the glaucous leaves 

 Seeds should l)e sown 

 early in a frame or 

 gi'eenhouse, planting 

 out in .June. 



Solanum 

 capsicastrum. 



Most gardeners are 

 rather short of decora- 

 tive plants in late 

 autumn and up to 

 Christmas, and to 

 those may bo recom- 

 mended the adoption 

 of the trade method of 

 growing bushy, well- 

 berried i)lants of this 

 useful subject. 

 Though seeds i)roduce 

 fair ])lants, proj)aga- 

 tion by cut lings is the 

 jjrefei'able method, as 

 by this mt^ans good 

 forms may be ke]>t 

 true. The best habited 

 plants should b e 

 selected, and placed 

 in a warm house, and when jirocurable short cut- 

 tings should be taken of the young growths : these 

 if inserted in :5-inch ])ots and i)la(('d in a i)ro- 

 pagating frame with a heat of I).")" will soon forni 

 roots. When sutHiciently looted they should be 

 transferred to :Mnch i)ots, being stoi)p<'d con- 

 tinually to ensure dwarf plants, and if kept gi'owinu 

 on in this temi)eratur(i will recpiire moving into 

 48 inch pots by March. In order to keep down 

 red spider, which soon spoils the foliage, the 

 syringe should be freely used. 



Early in .1 uly good plants should be formed, 

 and then syi'inging should he discontinued, and 

 a))undaiice of air given to ensure a good even set. 

 When the berries are formed weak liipud manure 

 is necessary to help them to swell, its use being 

 discontinued when the berries begin to turn red. 

 If large specimens are required they can be 

 planted out in May in a good loamy soil after 

 being gradually hardened so as to bear exposure 

 to the sun, and in September they can be potted 

 and brought inside to ripen. 



[.Vni-A-n', Ltd. 



