IRISH GARDENING 



phylla (clear blue tipped with pink, from 

 California), and Verlxnn thdnuudnjjolia (brilliant, 

 almost dazzling, crimson, a small trailing sub- 

 shrub from Buenos Aires). Among the Rhododen- 

 drons that flowered during the past month are 

 Rh. urboiescens (scented), lih. caineUiaeflunnn 

 (Sikkim), lih. Jenlinsii (a variety of lUt. Muddi ui. 

 fragrant like the type, but later to bloom and 

 more flushed wdth rose), it'//. Minantlntm (China), 

 Bh. Soulici (rose pink, from China), and Bh. 

 Ungernii (from the Caucasus, with the imusual 

 habit of making its gi-owth before expanding its 

 white trusses). The weather affected these plants 

 perhaps more than those of the other genera, and 

 they were none of them at their best. 



Curiously enough. Iris laevigata showed more 

 flower than is usually the case here, and if there had 



each emergnig from a white calyx and on a white 

 pedicel. I never found .Sphaeralcea munioana easy 

 to acchmatise, but it has now survived the winter 

 and IS traihng over a rock with red flow^ers. Echium 

 vulgare is a native plant, blue and well suited 

 to become established in the rougher places of 

 the wild garden. 



J. R. OF B. 



Longevity in Rock Plants. 



The July number of Irish G.^ruexing has reached 

 me while I am away from home, but, having re- 

 gard to the fact that the original article on the 

 above subject, from the pen of Mr. J. Harper 

 Scaife, appeared as long ago as May, 1921, I think 

 it is better to comply with Mr. E. B. Anderson's 



'<^- >- '-1^^ 



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Lewisia Homelli in the uiuiainc 



Ab 



,t l-,.l 



Co. Wicklow 



been a normal rainfall there would have been a fine 

 and lasting display of colour; on the other hand, 

 /. fulva, which always blooms, gave no sign of it 

 this season. Two Watsonias (one white IT. 

 Meriana alba, the other buff) produced large spikes, 

 but the flower died off more quickly than in 

 ordinary years. The same may be said of Arthro- 

 podiitm cinltatuiii. BulhinrUa IIofA-eri, Kniphofia 

 caulescens, Fancrafiinti maritimvm, and even to 

 some extent of the first show of Dierama puJchcr- 

 rima. Nor was LUium gigantrum up to the mark, 

 for it only grew little more than half its proper 

 height; though L. Hansoui L. Hvmhohlfii, L. 

 monoflelpJium zuvifziavum, and some others, seem 

 to be nearly as good as usual. AUium yunnane7isr, 

 the various Brodiaeas, DiaiirUa tasmanira. and 

 Eremurus Bungei did not appear to be much 

 affected by the weather; while Mrsnuhryauihriim 

 ■Broxrnei (red orange) and -1/. srapigcrvm (bright 

 yellow), as might be expected, luxuriated in the 

 sun. Cotyledon fniinosa has been outside for many 

 years, but only for the first time has it produced 

 a spike of numerous small dull yellow flowerets. 



request for my personal experiences (in the July 

 number of Irish G.\rdening, p. viii) without wait- 

 ing until I return. A personal examination of my 

 plants would, no doubt, have supplied me with 

 further examples of longevity, but, in any case, 

 the subject is too vast to be dealt with in the 

 confined space of a magazine article, and I can 

 do little more than add a few examples to those 

 already mentioned. I much regret that I have 

 kept no regular records of individual plants, as, 

 owing to circum.^tances which I cannot avoid, 

 plants in my garden once planted have practically 

 to look after themselves; they are kept fairly free 

 from weeds, but get no artificial watering, and are 

 rarely top dressed or divided up. I have a climate 

 usiially mild and wet in winter, with occasional 

 .severe frosts, followed by dry springs, with bright 

 sun, drying winds and slight night frost, and it is 

 in the early spring that my losses occur. Once the 

 spring growtli is made the plants .stand the summer 

 heat, and, by aid of careful drainage, the winter 

 rains; but in tlie dry spring months^the Kahschia 

 Snjif rages brown in patches and the whole garden 



