IRISH GARDENING 



VOLUME XVI 



No, 183 



Editor-J. W. Besant 



A MONTHLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE 



ADVANCEMENT OF HORTICULTURE AND 



ARBORICULTURE IN IRELAND 



M A Y 



1921 



In a Cheshire Garden. '""''''' 



Bv E. B. Anderson. 





ERE, as in most other places, the 

 winter was extremely wet up to the 

 end of January, followed by a dry 

 February. The early winter was 

 characterised by two spells of severe 

 frost, 15 degri-es to 20 degrees being 

 this district. The effects on plants are 

 Cistus TOsmaii)iifolius, HeJianthemum 

 umbellatum and Lupinus argenteiis killed, and 

 Sjiartium junceum badly hit; on the other hand, 

 Kerria japonica fl. pL, not against a wall, which in 

 previous winters has suffered badly, has come 

 through well and is now covered with buds. 

 Primula helodoxa, whose hardiness has been open to 

 doubt, is alive and well, and ^Ethionemas were 

 hardly browned. But ifr is in March that the death 

 rate begins to mount up; plants which have sur- 

 vived until then have become weakened by attempts 

 to grow during the mild spells, and the constant 

 rain, finally disappear under the stern test of the 

 east winds. Recently I have mourned the loss of 

 * the beautiful Achillea Kellerii, Avhich, two winters in 

 succession, has succumbed in March, although in 

 very sandy soil. My last trial will be on a minia- 

 ture cliff, where the drainage is excessive. On the 

 other hand Achillea Wilczechii thrives amazingly, 

 hardly so beautiful in foliage, the flowers are more 

 attractive, large, dead white and borne profusely. 

 It was onlv last summer that I really appreciated 

 the beauty of this species, although acquainted with 

 it for many years at Glasnevin. Potentilla 

 ilavurica is another plant which is difficult here. 

 Two years in succession it has started to leaf in 

 January, only to have the foliage destroyed later: 

 as a result the plant is slowly but surely departing 

 to a better land. 



In the interesting series of articles on rock 

 gardens now appearing in Irish Gardening the 

 writer, very wisely, lays emphasis on the necessity 

 for hills and dales in the rock garden in order to 

 provide as many aspects and varied conditions of 

 moisture and temperature as possible. It is often 

 impossible to say where a plant will succeed; small 

 differences in shelter and moisture make all the 

 — difference between failure and success. In fact, for 

 ■^ the first few years rock gardening is largely a study 



ct the physical geography of the site, and on the 



results of these early experiments a successful 



garden is formed; ther*>foro it is very necessary U) 



" try the same species in dift'Tont parts until one gets 



to know where, speaking generally, different famiUes 

 or aUied groups thrive best. To accomplish this 

 without becoming bankrupt in the attempt, I 

 strongly advise raising plants from seeds, and plant- 

 ing the resulting seedlings in different positions, and 

 carefully studying the growth and flowering of the 

 different specimens. The interest is great and the 

 knowledge gained of great value as one advances 

 fiom the commoner plants to the more difficult in 

 the attempt, common to all enthusiasts, to have a 

 garden abounding in beautiful and rare species all 

 in the best of health. To illustrate this I will quote 

 one experience from my own garden. One side of 

 the rockery is a low terrace, constantly swept during 

 the winter by N.E. and S.W. gales; its flora will 

 certainly be a survival of the fittest. On the top, 

 laugh as you may, Aubrietias are blown out of ex- 

 istence; in fact, I only saved a plant of A. Dr. 

 Mule's by timely removal. On the other hand, on a 

 particularly exposed spot, subject also to strong cur- 

 rents reflected by tlie house, Lithospermum inter- 

 medium thrives and flowers excellently, and in a 

 small bay protected only by two promontories about 

 12 inches high, Oxalis adenophylla thrives excellently. 

 Although opportunities for enjoying the garden 

 in January and February are often rare, yet there is 

 no doubt that the smallest flower is appreciated in 

 these months, and none more than the Saxifrages. 

 Mine started off with S. Burseriana Magna on 

 January 16th, followed by S. . x Kestoncjisis on 

 23rd; this latter is an exceedingly free-flowering 

 hybrid between S. Burseriana and ? marginata. 

 Equally good are S. Burseriana Gloria, a rapid 

 grower with bright yellow blooms; Burseriana multi- 

 flora, Irvingii, Gndscffii and Jaeggeana. For these 

 Saxifrages there is no doubt that the miniature cUft' 

 or mound of unbedded rocks is the position they 

 love: neither the drought of 1919 nor the deluge of 

 1020 affected plants on these positions. While talk- 

 ing of Saxifrages I must mention a most distinct 

 form of the oppositifolia group not often seen, viz., 

 S. H. M. Prichard. This forms lax tufts of the 

 usual oppositifolia type and freely bears large lilac 

 rose flowers with pointed petals, not rounded as in 

 most other forms. Not to be missed early in the 

 year are the various Puhnonarias : rubra with green 

 foliage and distinct red flowers. Mm. Moon,'^\\ith 

 spotted foliage and pale carmine pink flowers, and 

 neatest and perhaps most beautiful of all, P. angus- 

 tijolia a?.urea, forming neat tufts of dark greeu 



