152 



IRISH GARDENING 



Alpines in a Dalkey Garden* 



By J. Harper Hcaife. 



Every true gardener learns something from his 

 own experiences, especially from his failures, 

 but the collation of the experiences of others 

 under similar and dissimilar conditions must 

 necessarily teach us more and help us to solve 

 some of the many problems that confront all 

 lovers of Alpine plants. 



But the experiences of others can only be 

 assigned their proper values by knowing some- 

 thing of the circumstances, not merely about 

 the soil, but of the air, the rainfall, and the range 

 of temperature. The writer's garden is on granite 

 slopes rapidly from west to east, and, although 

 within a hundred yards of the sea, is well shel- 

 tered from the strong winds, but this very 

 shelter deprives it of some sun which it would get 

 in a higher and more exposed position. 



The influence of the sea (apart from tempera- 

 ture) on Alpines is a most interesting question, 

 and offers scope for patient observation ajid 

 investigation. With the greatest diffidence I 

 suggest that in some cases it adds something 

 bo the colouring of the foliage, and that so far 

 as the habit of a plant is concerjied, it may tend 

 to keep it more " at home." Its influence on 

 the range of temperature is a factor of con- 

 siderable importance. Dalkey is never so hot 

 or so cold as jjlaces a few miles inland ; its 

 rainfall is not great, and the natural drainage 

 is sharp. 



So much then for environment and local 

 climatic factors. 



September is a month when there is little in 

 the way of bloom iji the rock garden, but it 

 affords a convenient opportunity for retrospec- 

 tion and stocktaking. 



We are not however without some colour. 

 First and foremost is Lithospermum pro- 

 stratum. Two small nursery plants were put 

 in^ — one in April, 1910, the other in February, 

 1911.; they are now from 2 to 3 feet across, 

 and are almost constantly in bloom. 



One jjlant of Androsace lanuginosa var. 

 Leichtlini is covered with bloom. It hangs 

 down between two pieces of rock bordering a 

 path, and gets no protection in winter. On 

 flatter positions, plants, both of the type and the 

 variety, have survived a wint'jr's rain without 

 a glass, but when the spring comes they are not 

 so fresh and vigorous as when protected. 

 Androsace sarmentosa has also come through 

 this last winter without protection, and flowered 

 well. It was an experiment, but there is no 

 doubt but that all these woolly -leaved plants 



are the better for a piece of glass to throw off 

 the winter rains. 



Erodium Amanum and E. Reichardii have still 

 some blooms, and Geranium cinereum was 

 flowering away merrily at the beginning of the 

 month. 



Convolvulus mauritanicus (pale blue) and 

 Antirrhinum Asarinum (large creamy flowers) 

 are in bloom ; the latter is a most useful and 

 beautiful plant with a ver}^ long blooming 

 period. It will live through the winter, but 

 generallv dies off in the early spring ; it sets seed 

 abundantly which germinates easily. 



Amongst the Campanulas, C. acutangula, a 

 seedling planted in the moraine in the spring, 

 has made great growth, and is still in flower, so 

 are two plants of C. garganica-— ^bne blue and 

 the other almost white. C. raddeana flourishes 

 and blooms abundantly, so do puUa and j^ul- 

 loides in narrow pockets and with little attention ; 

 a rather good form of muralis makes large 

 masses, and is in bloom for the greater part of 

 the year. C. petraea, I have in a very narrow 

 fissure in the " live " rock ; it grows, but so far 

 has not flowered. 



Readers of Mr. Farrar's "In a Yorkshire 

 Garden " will remember his glowing description 

 of a new Aizoon Saxifrage which he found and 

 christened "Rex." In September, 1911, I 

 planted a small piece, one rosette about the size 

 of a shilling with a baby offset attached. It 

 grew well and multiplied, so that last year I was 

 able to take three offsets and yet leave a clump 

 of about half a dozen rosettes. It did not, 

 however, show any sign of blooming until the 

 spring of this 5^ ear. I have not heard of anyone 

 blooming it, and indeed outside Mr. Farrar's 

 book I have seen no reference to it. I therefore 

 looked forward to the blossoming with consider- 

 able interest and expectation. Unfortunately 

 the only photograph I got of it is not good 

 enough for reproduction. 



The flowering rosettes are \h inches in 

 diameter. In shape the flower is much like 

 S. burseriana, the petals overlap and are of 

 good substance. The purity of the white leaves 

 nothing to be desired, but there are tiny pink 

 dots in the centre. 



The clump threw up three stems, bright red 

 in colour, about 6 inches long, and each carried 

 from eight to ten blooms. So far as the 

 individual flowers are concerned I consider they 

 are larger and possess more substance and 

 beauty than any others of the Aizoon group, 

 and I look forward with anticipation to what a 

 well established clump will do in one or two 

 years' time. 



Its cultivation seems to be easy enough. The 



