IRISH GARDENING 



117 



for all positions from the tall and handsome 

 Crown Imperials to the diminutive F. aurea, 

 which grows about 6 inches high, and is suitable 

 for the rock garden. The Snake's Head 

 Fritilary, a British native, is a j^retty species 

 with drooping flowers, chequered purple and 

 white, while there are numerous handsome 

 named varieties and a pure white one. Other 

 good sorts are : — F. askhabadensis, a pale yellow- 

 flowered species growing about 1| feet to 

 2 feet high, and flowering in early spring ; F. 

 pyrenaica blooms in early summer, bearing 

 numerous large deep purple flowers ; F.coccinea 

 has distinct red floWers, and F. ElWesii, com- 

 paratively new, has 

 quaint green flowers ; 

 F. recurva has orange- 

 scarlet flowers of Won- 

 derful beauty, while 

 F. ruthenica is deep 

 }) u r p 1 i s h black. 

 Dwarfer sorts are F. 

 aurea, golden yellow 

 flowers in April ; F. 

 citrina, with citron- 

 yellow flowers ; F. ar- 

 mena, yellow ; and F. 

 pudica, golden-yellow. 

 The above are but a 

 selection, many other 

 interesting kinds being 

 offered by the leading 

 bidb merchants and 

 nurserymen. 



Snowdrops are 

 everybody's favour- 

 ites, and all look 

 eagerly for the first 



pure blossoms every L'.,..v.i!.'ht 



'■ mi 7 1 Crocus speciosus. 



year. Ihe old com- . , , . . a • „ ,. ■ 



•^ • ri 1 ^u A lovely Autumn-fiowenng species 



mon species Galanthus 



nivalis is still and likely to remain first favourite 



for general planting. For naturalising in grass 



or under trees few bulbs are more suitable, and 



the double form of the common Snowdrop often 



lends itself to this purpose very effectively. 



The bulbs should be put in fairly thick, a couple 



of inches or so a]iart, and thus a good effect is 



soon obtained. Besides the common sorts there 



are several other much larger flowered species 



of great beauty. 



Very similar to and ([uite as beautiful as the 



Snowdrop is the s])ring Snowflake Lcucojum 



vernum, which flowers very early in spring. 



It, too, is good for planting in grass, but 



flourishes also in the border or rock garden. 



L. vernum car]iathicum is regarded as an 



improvement on the type, and bears lovely 



pendant white flowers tipped with yellow. 



The taller growing species L. sestivum and L. 

 pulchellum, which flower later, are delightful for 

 naturalising in damp places, and flourish in the 

 bog garden. Leucojum autumnale is a dainty 

 little species bearing beautiful pink and white 

 flowers in autumn, and should be planted in very 

 sandy soil in a rather shaded position, while 

 Leucojum trichoi)hyllum is equally dainty, with 

 pure White flowers in spring, and should be pro- 

 tected by a sheet of glass or grown in a frame. 



Several of the bulbous Irises flower in winter 

 and very early spring, and should be planted 

 as soon as procurable. When grown out of 

 doors a Warm sunny position is essential, with 



protection from rough 

 wind, and withfacilities 

 for placing a sheet of 

 glass over them when 

 in flower. A free 

 loamy soil mixed with 

 sand and broken mor- 

 tar rubble provides a 

 suitable root medium 

 which facilitates the 

 ripening of the bulbs 

 as they finish growth 

 in spring. There is 

 a considerable number 

 of these early flowering 

 sorts, some much easier 

 to grow and maintain 

 than others. One of 

 the best is Iris reticu- 

 lata, which seems to 

 flourish in sun or shade, 

 and always flowers 

 freely, the blossoms 

 forming a beautiful 

 combination of i)ur})le 

 and gold. There are 

 several varieties of this, 

 var. Krelagei being distinct with deep reddish 

 plum-coloured flowers, but somewhat variable. 1. 

 reticulata so]ihenensis is light blue, though des- 

 cribed bv some authorities as variable : I. reticu- 

 lata var'. Histrio is bluish-lilac, with white ma.rk- 

 ings, it flowers very early. A later form is I. 

 reticulata Histrioides, rather similar in some ways 

 to the former, but with larger flowers. Other 

 good earlv flowering kinds are :— Iris Vartani.iiale 

 blue ; I. Danfordias rich yellow ; I. alata, lilac- 

 blue, flowering in winter, therefore should have 

 protection ; and I. Taiiri, a good early flowerer, 

 with fine flowers, which are violet and black, 

 the falls marked with white and orange lines. 

 There are many other species of l)ulbous Irises 

 differing in form and habit from those mentioned, 

 but the immediate idea is to remind readers of 

 the need for planting early. J. W. B. 



