84 



IRISH GARDENING 



Early Summer -flowering Border 

 Plants. 



By J. W. Besant. 



EvKKY luonth now brings its own ])t'tuliar joys, 

 and not a few are to be found in the Lardy flower 

 border in June. Tliis delightful month retains 

 a good deal of the crisp freshness of spring, and 

 yet with its own charming flowers gives jiromise 

 of fuller joys to come alter midsummer's day. 

 Already in May one can discern in the borders 

 many plants which will be flowering in June, and 

 timely feeding with manure water will ensure 

 sturdy growth and well-develo])ed fiowei-s. 



Anchusas, by the gi-owth they are making, 

 look as if they would rival the Delphiniums, and 

 will in all probability flower much longer. The 

 now well-known variety " Dropmore " remains one 

 of the most satisfactory, and has a good companion 

 in " Opal, " which is of a lighter shade of blue. 



Anthericum Liliastrum or Paradisea Liliastrum, 

 as it should be called, is a very charming white- 

 flowered plant of the Lily family, and commonly 

 called St. Bruno's Lily ; white flowers are always 

 welcome, and are particularly pleasing to the eye 

 in hot weather. Aquilegias, or Columbines, are 

 even now in mid-May full of buds, and will be 

 full of flowers in June and July. There are many 

 strains of these in commerce, and the long-spurred 

 hybrids are general favovirites. The colours vary 

 considerably, and are all very beautiful. The strain 

 favoured here is one known as the " Rainbow 

 Mixture, " and it proves a very attractive one. 

 Delphiniums are now so universally grown 

 that it may be hardly necessary to draw attention 

 to them here. Yet, as notes must be made every 

 month if satisfactory borders are wanted, it will 

 be well for those interested to go about freely 

 where Delphiniums are grown. So very many 

 kinds are now offered that only a selection can be 

 grown in even the largest gardens. Some of the 

 tiner varieties which will be flowering in June are 

 Arago, dark blue; King of Delphiniums, gentian 

 blue and white ; Capri, sky blue; Felicity, sky blue 

 with black centre ; Lizzie van Veen, Cambridge 

 blue, and many others. There are in fact sorts 

 to suit all tastes from the giant of 7 or 8 feet like 

 Arago to the dwarf Belladonna set of which we 

 have singles and doubles, and the even dwarfer 

 D. grandiflorum, which, however, is not truly 

 perennial in all soils. 



Some of the stateliest plants of June will be 

 found among the Eremuri. Some gardeners 

 prefer to group these among low-growing shrubs 

 or in front of a grou]) of larger shrubs, and 

 certainly the provision of a background adds 

 immensely to the effect. However, they are 

 quite manageable as border plants, and in sx>ite 

 of their shallow yet wide-s])reading roots can be 

 very effectivey planted round with annual Lark- 

 spurs, &c., so that when the tall flower spikes are 

 past their best they are succeeded by other 

 flowers. Eremurus robustus and its varieties 

 Elwesianus and E. albus are among the earliest 

 and best, though there is often not much difference 

 between this species and E. himalaicus, a dwarfer 

 sort with white flowers. E. Bungei, with yellow 

 flowers, comes later, and latest of all are the 

 hybrids known collectively as E. Warei, and which 

 vary in colour — yellow, buff, and flesh-coloured. 

 Through May and June the Geums are useful 

 plants, making a gocjd show for some consider- 

 able time, Geum Eweui, with golden-yellow 



flowers, is very free and early, and is followed 

 closely by (ieum Mrs. Hradsliaw. a very fine ])lant 

 with large handsome double dark crimson 

 flowers. There is also a yellow counter])art of the 

 latter variety with doublt! yellow flowers. 



Hemerocallis flava is one of the in-ettiest of the 

 " Day Lilies " and flowers early and for a con- 

 siderable time. Some " Day Lilies " are inclined 

 to be coarse, in that they produce a very large 

 amount of foliage which is not balanced by a 

 coi'responding amount of })loom. 



Already in May the Ifeucheras are pushing u]) 

 their flower spikes, and in June will be full of 

 colour. There are many lovely varieties now, 

 and no more useful flowers can be gi-own for 

 cutting. Such varieties as 11. Sanglant, Fantaisie, 

 Flambeau, Edge Hall, brizoides, gracillima, La 

 Perle, &c., &c., are of grand effect in urou])s, and 

 yield any amount of flowers 



In June a host of Irises unfold their beautiful 

 flowers and adorn the cottage garden as well as 

 those of more pretentions and (iften of less beauty. 

 In May the so-called germanica Irises are in 

 flower, and are followed in June by numerous 

 other sections, giving greater variety in colour 

 and marking. The sections most ])rominent in 

 June are Aphylla, hybrida, neglecta, squalens, 

 variegata, pallida, and numerous other Irises 

 such as Cengialti, dwarf with deep blue flowers: 

 I. flavescens, primrose yellow ; I. florentina and 

 florentina albicans, white, A:c. Each of the above 

 sections is characterised by some distinctive colour 

 which varies in the many varieties in each section 

 Pfeonies contribute not a little to the June 

 garden, and are represented chiefly by the double 

 forms of the European Paeonia officinalis, and 

 both and single and double forms of the Siberian 

 P. albiflora. Among the varieties of the latter 

 are some of the faii'est flowers of the summer 

 garden. Many are sweetly scented, and while 

 the white, pale yellow and rosy doubles are most 

 l)opular, some of the singles are of superb beauty, 

 rivalling the pvirest of Water Lilies. 



Papaver orientalis, the giant Oriental Poppy, 

 is a gorgeous flower of early summer. It should, 

 however, be very judiciously planted in the 

 border since it is over early, and will leave a sad 

 blank if arrangements are not made to have later 

 flowers planted in front of it to hide the poppy 

 leaves as they wither and keep the border gay 

 with flowers. Many kinds are in commerce, but 

 a few will suffice. Good deep crimsons like 

 Oriental King and ]nnks like Jenny Mawson, 

 Princess Ena and Mrs. Perry are most satisfactory. 

 Pyrethrums both single and double are 

 essentially early flowerei's, though with care they 

 will flower also in autumn. They too, if planted 

 in borders, must be judiciously screened with 

 anniials of sorts so that there may be no blanks 

 when the flrst flush of flowers are over. 



A rather handsome i)lant which flowers early 

 is Thalictrum aquilegifolivim, which, as the 

 speciflc name im])lies, has Columbine-like leaves 

 and bears feathery heads of flowers composed of 

 bunches of purplish stamens with yellow anthers. 

 Perhai)s a good many other early flowering 

 l)lants might be noted, but sufficient has been 

 said to draw attention to the wealth of material 

 available for an early display. Those who would 

 add to or improve their collections of early 

 flowering herbaceous plants shovild make every 

 endeavour to visit good trade and other collec- 

 tions in June, so that the dift'erent species and 

 varieties may be seen actually growing and a 

 selection made to suit individual tastes. 



