ii6 



IRISH GARDENING. 



Very pretty effects are possible with the 

 aiitumu-flowering Crocuses, and they should be 

 freely used in the rock garden, which at that 

 time is usually somewhat lacking in flowers. 



Perhajis the best autumn-flowering Crocus for 

 general use is C. speciosus, a beautiful rich blue 

 species, which can be obtained in quantity at 

 quite a cheap rate. Other good sorts are C 

 asturicus, purple or mauve ; longiflorus, lilac ; 

 pulchellus, blue and purple ; Salzmanni, lilac 

 with darker feathering ; niedius, deep lilac with 

 consjiicuous, orange stigma ; sativus, blue and 

 purple, with orange stigma ; Tourneforti, rose- 

 lilac ; and zonatus, lilac, with an orange zone 

 at the base of the segments, and others of 

 much beauty. 



A good selection of winter-flowering kinds 

 might include the follow'ing : — C. ancyrensis. 

 bright orange-yellow ; biflorus, white, with 

 violet feathering ; chrysanthus, fine yellow, with 

 several varieties ; Fleischeri, a very free flowerer, 

 white with dark lines ; Imperati, violet and biiflf 

 or fawn ; and vitellina, rich orange yellow. 

 There are many more species which flower early 

 enough to be called winter flowerers, but half a 

 dozen or so kinds are enough to begin with. 



Early spring flowerers are : — C aureus, bright 

 golden yellow ; Balansae, deep yellow, shaded 

 brown ; etruscus, rosy lilac and buff ; Korolkowi, 

 yellow and broWn ; Tommasinianus, lavender, 

 shaded silvery grey ; susianus, rich yellow and 

 brown ; andC. vernus, of which there are several 

 varieties. All the winter and early spring kinds 

 should be planted in sunny, sheltered spots where 

 they are protected from inclement weather and 

 can get all available sun. 



All the winter and spring blooming kinds are 

 delightful grown in pots or pans, and if a cold 

 house is available their beauty can be enjoyed 

 when weather conditions are not tempting for 

 the outdoor garden. 



Colchicums, often erroneously called AiUumn 

 Crociises, should be planted as soon as possible. 

 There are several kinds of exceptional merit, 

 some of them producing a surjirising number of 

 flowers from each bulb. Autumn, winter and 

 spring each have their several varieties, but the 

 aiitumn kinds are the most conspicuous. C. 

 autumnale is one of the best known, and makes 

 quite a good show in open places in shrubberies 

 and plantations — the colour is rosy-purple. 

 There is a white variety which is very attractive 

 and also a double form. Next to C. autumnale, 

 C. speciosum is perhaps the best known, and is 

 a superior sort to the first named. The flowers 

 of C. speciosum are larger and of better substance, 

 and in the variety rubrum we get the deepest 

 colour. C. speciosum album is of sur])assing 

 beauty, and should be given a prominent place, 



always bearing in mind, however, that the leaves 

 develop to quite a large size and leave a blank 

 when they die off in early summer. Other good 

 sorts are Bornmuelleri, with large rosy-lilac 

 flowers ; giganteum, a giant flower, soft rose in 

 colour ; Parkinsoni, chequered rose and white. 

 Several species flower in early spring, nota])ly 

 C. cilicicum, rose shading to crimson ; croci- 

 florum, a distinct sort with white flowers lined 

 with pur])le, and montanum, with rosy-white 

 flowers. The smaller growing kinds are quite 

 good for the rock garden given suitable positions. 



The hardy Cyclamens, though not strictly 

 bulbous plants, may be considered so for all 

 practical ])urposes. They number among them 

 many exquisitely beaiitiful kinds blooming in 

 autumn and spring. They are delightful for 

 naturalizing on grassy banks and under trees. 

 One of the most charming effects the writer has 

 seen was a mass of Cyclamen Coum growing 

 under a tree of Tsuga mertensiana at Mount 

 ITsher. The soil for Cyclamens should be well 

 loosened, and the addition of leaf-mould and old 

 mortar rubble is an advantage. Good autumn 

 flowering kinds are C africanum, with blush- 

 coloured flowers and bearing handsome leaves 

 with a silvery zone ; C neapolitanum is very free 

 flowering and reliable, and grows freely in the 

 rock garden or under trees ; the type has rosy- 

 pink flowers produced before the leaves, and 

 there is also a beautiful jiure white variety — 

 the leaves are delightfully marbled with silver ; 

 C. ei^ropseum flowers in early autumn, the flowers 

 being crimson and sweet-scented ; C. cilicicum 

 flowers in winter and should have protection ; 

 the flowers are white with purple centre. Sj^ring 

 flowering kinds are C. Coum, with bright 

 crimson flowers and plain green leaves, also 

 C. Coum album, a white variety ; C ibericum, 

 which resembles the foregoing, but has marbled 

 leaves ; C. libanoticum, bearing pink or rose- 

 coloured flowers ; and C. rejiandum, a most 

 floriferous species, bearing a profusion of bright 

 crimson flowers in spring. These Cyclamens are 

 also good subjects for growing in pans, especially 

 the spring flowerers, which are useful for the 

 Alpine house. 



The Winter Aconites, of which there are two 

 species, floWer very early, es])ecially the older 

 kind, Eranthis hyemalis, which in mild Weather 

 is often opening in January. E. cilicicus, a 

 newer sort, is a great acc{uisition, flowering very 

 freely rather later than E. hyemalis. Both have 

 ])retty yellow flowers and can l)e bought for a 

 few shillings per hundred. 



Fritillarias of many kinds are very beautiful, 

 and should be i)lanted as early as procurable, as 

 they are very difficult to establish if kept long 

 out of the soil. There are species practically 



