IRISH GARDENING 



125 



edges get covered over hy natural seeding and 

 spreading — as I expect they are by this time — 

 the effect should he excellent. But most of us 

 have to limit the dimensions of our paths in order 

 to have more room for plants. Then we have two 

 alternatives — either to use fiat slabs of stone, 

 preferably irregular and discontinuous, or to 

 cover the paths with carpeters; or the two plans 

 may be combined. In either case the effect is 

 good. Your rock garden, instead of looking like 

 an archipelago, with narrow straits of gravel, 

 stretches continuously over its miniature 

 hills and dales. I began with narrow gravel 

 paths, but soon found that plants were quite 

 willing to invade them anil hide their nakedness. 

 Four species I have found especially useful, grow- 

 ing away year by year, and not minding the 

 tramping a bit. These are : Epilobiinn Tlectori, 

 Aca^na Buchanani, (Jotula squalida, Bellium 

 hellidioicles. Each makes a carpet of a different 

 tint — copper, grey-green, brown-green, and fresh 

 green, in the order named — and the more they 

 are walked on the neater their growth and the 

 more vivid their tint. 



Wild Thyme— purple, pink, or white— is also 

 suitable, and the tiny yellow-flowered Oxalis 

 ( ? 0. rorniculata var.) — but in some gardens this 

 tends to become a troublesome weed. Several 

 other dwarf Acasnas, such as the crimson-fruited 

 A. microphylla, are as useful as A. Buchanani, 

 but care nuist be taken to use only those species 

 which do not possess barljed seeds. 



Lapagerias. 



Lovely Greenhouse Climbers. 



The attraction of a greenhouse or conservatory is 

 considerably enhanced by the creeping and climb- 

 ing plants growing under the roof. Sometimes 

 one notices how Roses are appreciated, cultivated 

 in this way, Passifloras, Cobaea scandens, or 

 Clematises. One of the most beautiful subjects 

 under glass is the Lapageria, and when in a 

 healthy, vigorous state, it never fails to provide 

 blossoms that are as lovely as they are imique. 

 Unfortunately, though its culture is not difficult, 

 once its requirements are understood, it is not 

 popular with the majority of people who own 

 glasshouses. This is possibly owing to wrong 

 ideas concerning it, many conceiving the notion 

 that it is a climber more suited to the warm and 

 moist conditions of a stove rather than the tem- 

 perature to be found in an ordinary greenhouse. 



Nothing could be further from the truth, as it 

 is when growing in a cool environment that its 

 flowers develop best, and, if kept free from frost, 

 may be grown in an amateur's greenhouse just as 

 successfully as in any other, provided certain 

 rules governing the culture of this superb flower- 

 ing creeper are observed. 



In the first place, it is essential that Lapagerias 

 should be given the right sort of material in 

 which to grow, and it is the disregard of this very 

 necessary duty, where failures with them may be 

 directly traced. Good fibrous peat, a little de- 

 cayed loam, coarse silver sand, charcoal broken 

 up, and, above all, ample diainage must be pro- 

 vided in the shape of crocks^, or pieces of brick, 

 and this should be carried out, no matter whether 

 the plants are grown in i)nts or tubs, or, as is 

 sometimes the case, in a 1)order inside the house. 

 Special watchfulness is needed in the spring, 

 when the young shoots are emerging from the 

 soil, as the shoots are not only succulent and 

 brittle, and easily broken, but they are liable to 



be attacked by slugs tliat find their way into a 

 house where Lapagerias are growing. If it is 

 possible to select a house where the sun leaves 

 it for part of the day, and is cool and partly 

 shaded, better results as a rule can be achieved 

 than with plants growing in a house facing south. 

 In that case it will be necessary to adopt some 

 method of shading. If trained from a roof, a 

 space of nine inches or so ought to be left 

 between that and the rafters. A cool, moist 

 atmosphere is best for them, and syringing 

 greatly helps to keep them free of insects, and 

 promotes healtliy growth. 



Lapagerias do not require very much in the 

 way of pruning, beyond thinning out old shoots 

 after the plants have done flowering. The flowers 

 (white, also rose) are long or tubular, and are 

 strikingly handsome when seen hanging from 

 between the foliage over one's head in a green- 

 house. As we have remarked, Lapagerias are not 

 difficult subjects to deal with when their wants 

 are known and understood, and it is mainly 

 those who have tried them and failed to give 

 them a proper medium in which the roots are 

 happiest, who jumj^ to the conclusion that non- 

 success is due to insufficient heat. We have only 

 to add that given a right start and a fair trial, 

 few creeping plants give more pleasure when the 

 blooming stage is reached, and in a cool and 

 shady house this may be prolonged. 



W. LiNDERS Le.\. 



Notes and News. 



A Delightful Book. 

 I H.WE recently read a book which ought to be 

 in the library of everyone interested in gardens 

 and plants. 



It is entitled " Henry Nicholson Ellacombe : A 

 Memoir." and is edited by Mr. Arthur W. Hill, 

 the Assistant Director of the Royal Botanic 

 Gardens, Kew. 



In his preface the editor says : — " The compila- 

 tion of the Memoir is mainly the work of Mr. 

 W. J. Bean and myself," and right well have they 

 done — a work for which both gentlemen are emi- 

 nently fitted. 



Although published in 1919, it seems to me that 

 the book is far too little known. The late Canon 

 Ellacombe, as many people know, was not only 

 a brilliant scholar, but a brilliant gardener as 

 well, and his garden at Bitton was a storehouse 

 of rare and beautiful plants, and for years the 

 Mecca of all who truly love plants. 



Many of the Canon's friends have contribvited 

 to the Memoir, and their contributions show how 

 keenly the Canon worked at perfecting his collec- 

 tions and how he welcomed to Bitton the true 

 gardener. 



Through the courtesy of the editors of various 

 magazines numerous papers by Canon Ellacombe 

 are reproduced, notably " Field Names," "Church 

 Restoration," " House Mottoes," " Roses," 

 " Piora," " The Muscera Pass," and a " List of 

 Garden Plants grown at Bitton in 18.30." 



Much more could be said of the Memoir; the 

 Canon's " Travels Abroad " is a chapter full of 

 interest, and, to Irish readers, the account of his 

 journey in Ireland in 1882 has a special interest 

 in the light of present-day conditions. Having 

 enjoyed the book, and felt, perhaps, something of 

 the Canon's enthusiasm and something of the 

 grief of his friends at his loss, I recommend other 

 readers of Irish Gardening to give themselves 

 the pleasure of reading it also. B. 



