IRISH GARDENING 



VOLUME X 



No. 1 1 J 



Editor C- F. Ball 



A MONTHLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE 



ADVANCEMENT OF HORTICULTURE AND 



ARBORICULTURE IN IRELAND 



JUNE 

 i9'5 



(NEW 



MOTAI 



«AKI 



Some of the Newer Chinese Rhododendrons 



By Mr. A. Osborn, Kew. 



Explorations in China during the last twenty 

 years prove tliat region and extending through 

 Thibet into the Himalayas to he the head- 

 quarters of the llli()d(Hlen(lron family. The 

 French missionaries. 

 Abbes David, Dela- 

 vay, and Farges, and 

 the British collectors, 

 Messrs. Wilson, 

 Forrest, and Purdon, 

 all sent home seeds 

 of Rhododendrons. 

 English gardens are 

 indebted to Mr. E. 

 H. Wilson for most 

 of the species men- 

 tioned here, though 

 a number were intro- 

 duced a few years 

 earlier to France. A 

 number have already 

 proved distinct and 

 valuable additions to 

 our gardens, while in 

 the hands of the hy- 

 bridist few will deny 

 they possess immense 

 possibilities. While 

 most of Mr. Wilson's 

 introductions are 

 perfectly hardy, a 

 number flower in 

 early spring, when 

 the flowers are often 

 damaged by frosts 

 when ])lantcd in the 

 open. For these a 

 the morning sun is 



I'liOto hy] 

 J{nOU()DKM)l!OX 



Inserted at the right time when the young 

 shoots are beginning to assume a half-ripe 

 nature, cuttings of most of the smaller-leaved 

 Rhododendron's root readily in a i)ropagating 

 frame with sligh1> 

 l)ottom heat. In this 

 way it will be easy to 

 select and raise stocks 

 of the best forms or 

 varieties, as consider- 

 able variation exists 

 among the seedlings 

 of some species in 

 colour, size and 

 markings of the 

 flowers. 



R. AMBIGUUM. — A 



Inishy evergreen pro- 

 mising to grow 4 feet 

 or more in height. 

 Produces terminal 

 trusses of four to six 

 flowers about the end 

 of April or early in 

 Ma3^pale3ellow, with 

 greenish yellow .spots. 

 The colour is the 

 most important re- 

 commendation, being 

 rare among evergreen 

 Rhododendrons. It 

 seeds freely mider 

 iMiitivatidii. Intro- 

 duced by Mr Wilson. 

 R. AiGUSTiNn.— 

 This is said to reach a 



iOXTAXTM AT (il-.\SNl-;VIN. 



position sheltered from 

 very desiraljje. These 

 remarks suggest that the Chinese Rliododendrons 

 will prove of the greatest value in the milder 

 climate of the south and west, including Ireland. 

 The majority of the Chinese Rhododendrons are 

 evergreen. The most notable (>xcei)tions are 

 R. sinense and R. mucronulatum. 



hei'-lit of 10 feet. Young plants form plea.sing 

 busliv evergreens. In colour the flowers are very 

 variable, including white, blush, pnik. lavender 

 and purple. A few years select mg aniong these 

 should give us a mo.st valuable addition to the 

 evergreen floxxering species of our gardens. One 

 in particular, introduced by Mr. Wilson, a 

 lavender-purple shade, flowers 2\ inches across, 



