5= 



IRISH GARDENING 



^\beu in a plaw that it lik<«;. Une giM-d cUnnii ln-rc 

 if nine or ten years old. 



In the Biiisfiiana groui) vS\ apeciosa seems to bi- 

 thf only one that liourislies without division for 

 any length of time. One good .sized piece plantLd 

 ten years ago has im-reascd in size j-eur by yeiu- l)iit 

 i3 very sparing of its blossoms. .S. lHoria cumiot 

 be left to itself for any length of time, and the 

 writer's experience is that it needs constant division 

 to keep it in vigorous health. 



Periodical division is also necessary for the 

 Kii(ilrriu8 S. media, .S. porophylla, S. ihcsxulicn, 

 S. Frcderici Auguati, .S. OriHebachii, S. Stribnnji, 

 S. Sluarti. 



Androsace.<5 such as Laggrri, villosa, cfiamujasmc , 

 and Inctca are all short-lived here, but sanncntosa 

 and chumhyi arc still flourishing and increasing 

 tiiough planted eleven years ago. A. latnigiuosa lived 

 for nine years and I am not quite satisfied that its 

 demise was due to natural causes. 



Dianihus veglcctns was planted twelve years ago, 

 has gone on increasing until it is now a large clump. 

 Every year it is covered with bloom and gets no 

 attention save that a piece is chopped off now and 

 then for some friend ! I am inclined to think that 

 many of the Campanulas would live for ever were 

 it not for the slugs, which are most persistent in 

 their attacks on those kinds which die down in the 

 winter. Directly the new growth begins to push 

 tlirough in the spring the enemy appears and nibbles 

 it off. Zinc rings afford some protection but are 

 ugly, and a coating of crusliod. sharp granite is also 

 useful in keeping the marauders at bay. 



Campanulas like garganica and acutangula, the 

 foliage of which is persistent, seem able to hold 

 their own against snail and slug and are long-lived. 

 J. H.VllPKI! ScAirF. 



Rock Plants. 



(Coniiuued jrom page 42.) 



HE.vrns of all kinds arc ever welcome in any 

 position, but for the rock garden the dwarfei- kinds 

 are the most suitable. A gem few would like to be 

 without is Erica carnca, flowering from winter far 

 into spring, cheering all M'ith its wonderful, deep, 

 flesh-coloured flowers; the white variety is liked by 

 some but is much inferior to the type. More 

 beautiful are the forms distributed by ISIessrs. Back- 

 house, which vary in shade of colour, and to some 

 extent in habit also. Such forms as Princcus Mary. 

 The Pearl, King George, &c., are all of much charm 

 and give great interest to the rock garden in early 

 spring. In soils free from lime the Cornish Heatii 

 Erica vagaus, and especially the delightful soft pink 

 form, St. Keverne, is useful in late summer and 

 autunju, as also are the Scotch Heath, Erica cincrca. 

 the Dorset Heath, Erica ieiralir and the common 

 Ling Calluna vulgaris in its many beautiful colour 

 forms. Eriogonum is a little known genus not often 

 met with in private gardens. About half a dozen 

 species at least ai-e in cultivation and of these the 

 commonest and most ornamental is E. umhcllaium, 

 Avhieb makes wiry, woody shoots furnished at the 

 ends with tufts of leathery leaves, and prod\icing in 

 summer umbels of yellow flowers: it likes a simny 

 position ip sandy, well drained .soil. 



Erodiunis uvi' nuuiexous and jubtly popular. Some 

 k\v are too coarse to merit inclusion among choice 

 rock plants, but ou the other hand some are certainly 

 indispensable. E. chamadryuidcs is one of the 

 best, a dainty dwarf with small roundish leaves, 

 from among which appear the white flowers 

 delicately veined with piidc; a choice plant for a 

 sunny sheltered position. E. Chrysauthum. must 

 rank as one of the best; with silvery, fern-like 

 toliage and clear, pale yellow flowers it always makes 

 an attractive picture. 



E. yutlatiim, with silvery foliage and white 

 flowers veined with violet, is another indispensable. 



/'.'. macradcnuni, with flowers of light violet, and 

 dark blotches, is quite one of the ijest and should b« 

 included wherever possible. E. supracannm. cannot 

 he omitted even if it gave nothing more than its 

 silvery leaves, though the pink-tinted flowers are 

 also attractive. 



E. tricho7na)icfoUum, one of the best known, is 

 also among the choice species; the leaves are grey- 

 green and the flowers pale pink, with veins of a 

 deeper shade. 



When we come to Gentians we are confronted at 

 once with some of the most beautiful of all Alpine 

 |)lants, but, alas, also some of the most difficult to 

 cultivate. If we take G. acaulis as an instance we 

 shall find that some people will say it is perfectly 

 easy and flowers in abundance if divided and planted 

 in rich soil ever}- three or four years and in this 

 way Mr. Hum Bland does it magnificently at 

 Blandsfort in Queen's County. In other gardens 

 but a few blooms appear no matter what the treat- 

 n\eut it receives. Again, how elusive is G. verna, 

 the gloi-y of our western hills from seashore to 

 summit. There is reason to hope though that by 

 seedling raising the difficulties in flowering G. verna 

 may be overcome; at least, Mr. Walpole has 

 " yards " of seedlings at Mount Usher the picture 

 of health, and his gardener, Mr. Fox, has apparently 

 got over the difficulty, as ho has with many other 

 good things. G. verna angulosa is easier to flower 

 and keep and is no less beautiful. 



Of such beauties as G. arvernense, G. bavarica, 

 and G. brachyphylla, little need be said as they 

 are rarely seen m health for any length of time, 

 and file only chance seems to lie in making a special 

 bed for such treasures something on the lines of a 

 njorainc, very well drained below and with the top 

 six inches or so composed of sandy loam, peat and 

 sharp grit. There is a possibility that in their 

 native habitat these species live symbiotically with 

 some fungus investing the roots, and until this 

 fungus can be induced to accompany them into 

 cultivation complete success is a matter of doubt. 

 A most satisfactory species is G. Freyniana, a strong 

 though not coarse grower producing many decumbent 

 shoots, well furnished with leaves and tenninated in 

 July by clusters of large deep blue flowers. Of 

 similar habit is G. scptemfida, of equally good colour 

 and robust growth, coming up well every year if 

 protected in the early stages of growth from slugs. 



G. Pnrdomii is a good plant of trailing habit, 

 scarcely rising from the surface of the soil, and 

 bearing at the ends of the .shoots long tubed blue 

 flowers of rare beauty. Of somewhat similar habit 

 is G. Kurroo with rather larger flowers of bright 

 blup. All the Gentians are interesting, many of 



