IRISH GARDENING 



57 



Romneya Coulteri 



Ths accompanying photograph depicts a bed of 

 this beautiful shrub or sub-shrub which flowered 

 exce])tionally well in these gardens diu-ing the 

 past summer. Six small plants raised from seeds 

 were i)lanted four years ago on a raised bed in 

 quite an open ])art of the Rose garden. 



The soil here is a sandy loam, and beyond 

 giving the bed a heavy mulch with decayed 

 maniire as soon as the ]ilants are cut down 

 in late autumn, they receive no special atten- 

 tion. 



In sheltered positions I have seen this lovely 

 pop])y withstand the winter without any niidch 

 or ])rotection. 

 in which cas( 

 it will some- 

 times reach the 

 height of 1.5 

 feet ; but I am 

 convinced that 

 the fiowers are 

 ]) r o d u c e d in 

 greater quan- 

 tity and of 

 better quality 

 f r o ni s h o o t s 

 ]iroduced an- 

 nually from the 

 base of the 

 ])lant. 



In private 

 establish ments 

 the flowers are 

 very usefid for 

 decorative pur- 

 poses. A large 

 vase lightly 

 arranged al- 

 ways proves 

 an attraction, 

 and if cut early 

 in the morning 

 before the sun 

 strikes them 

 they will last 

 in good condi- 

 tion for four oi- 

 f 1 V e d a V s. — 

 .I.E., Oak Park 

 Gai'dens, Car- 

 low. 



A Bed of 



HOMNEYA 



Co. 



The Cultivation of Arum Lilies* 



Hy .John Ci-EAHv. Presentation Convent Cardens, 

 Haltinglass. C(». Wicklow. 



roots, have good clean pots, 9-inch or lU- 

 inch for preference. Clean pots are most essen- 

 tial, as they have to be left so long in them ; 

 on top of the crocks place a layer of moss 

 to ensure sufficient drainage, so as to keep 

 the soil from becoming sour during the growing 

 season. The Arum Lily thriven very well in a 

 rich loamy soil — viz., five parts loamy soil, one 

 leaf-niould and two parts well rotted juanure, 

 old hot bed manure for preference, mix all 

 together without sifting it, for the coarser the 

 conipost is the better, and to each barrow load 

 ])ut ii 6-iuch i)otful of fertilizer, such as Clay's. 

 Very good resalts can be obtained froin putting 

 live crowns in each pot ; first l)ut in a little 

 compost on to|) of the moss, then place the 



crowu!- evenly, 

 and with a 

 little rammer or 

 t)lunt stick lirni 

 the soil as it 

 is 1 ) 1 a c e d all 

 ;i r o u n d t h e 

 (Towns. 



When the 

 potting is done 

 place the plants 

 in a frame till 

 N o V e m b e r , 

 carelully cov- 

 ering on ail 

 nights that 

 show the least 

 sign of frost. 

 Bring them 

 into the green- 

 iiouse in the 

 aforementioned 

 month. kee|)ing 

 them near the 

 glass at all tinu's 

 except in frosty 

 weather, when 

 they should l)e 

 lifted back from 

 the glass at night 

 time. Dui'ing 

 t he growing sea- 

 son never let t he 

 soil become dry. 

 always keep 

 them well sup- 

 plied with water, 

 and once a fort - 

 night, feed them with weak licpiid manure', imreas- 

 ing the supply and strength as the jdants grow, 

 and when coming into hloom feed twice a week, 

 and give t hem clean water bet ween times, having it 

 about the same temperature as that of the house. 

 I always feed the plants for six weeks after 

 blooming to strengthen them for the following 

 season, and keej) tliem watered till they n<'arly 

 die down or go to rest for the summer. 



Most peoi)ie, as a rule. i)lant them outdoors 

 for tin- sununer. I have tried drying some olT 

 (•omi)letely and i)lanting some out \n the ground, 

 and 1 linil the ones dried olT completely make 

 ])etter plants and give largei- spikes of bloom. 



(ireenlly is their wt)rst enemy here, and that, 

 can be easily kept down if, as often as it api)ears, 

 vou fumigate. 



J.i^. \:l'~:< 



CouT.TEiu. at Oak Park 

 Carlow. 



