IRISH GARDENING 



93 



Mucklagh in the Heather 



In the Ajdil issue of last year there a})peared 

 a delightful a])preciation of the beauties of 

 Mucklagh — " the Wicklow Mountain home of 

 The O'Mahony " — in its setting of the golden 

 gorse. On 23rd September I saw it in the 

 glory of the lieather — the touch of gold, which 

 caught the rays of the autumn sun being su])- 

 plied by the fading bracken, and it seejued to 

 me that in such a setting the natural and artificial 

 had fused as I had never before seen — heather. 

 as far as the eye could reach in quantity — 

 heather, in endless variety and exquisite beauty 

 close at hand. It .seemed only to need a tiny 

 gorse bush here and there to be a perfect re- 

 ])roduction : perhaps the tiny brooni-like Genista 

 l)ilosa which flowers until autumn might find a 

 place ? 



When I last visited the gardens spring had 

 decked the rocks and waterside witli colour, but 

 now the beauty was in high ]»laces, for all the 

 heights were crowned with a collection of Heaths 

 that one can scarcely imagine being sur])as.sed. 

 Two years ago this wonderful heath show was 

 responsible for introducing the gardens first to 

 my notice. A friend in passing noticed an un- 

 familiar heather and stop])ed to examine : 

 though no florist he knew he had seen something- 

 worth sharing, and I believe each season since 

 he has turned aside to admire the old friends 

 with new faces. As I have said, a streani runs 

 through the garden between two rocky banks ; 

 these rocks rise from the entrance gradvially to 

 the level of the house, which faces the garden. 

 On the left the heights are all crowned with 

 heath in endless variety, finishing opposite the 

 windows of the house with enormous masses on 

 the level of Erica carnea, E. c alba, and 

 Mediterranea hybrida. which even at this 

 season, in their fresh foliage and light coloured 

 buds, add not a little to the beauty of the 

 collection. 



And now to give .some of the varieties that 

 struck me as of .special beauty or interest — 

 Menziesia polifolia and M. alba, both in splendid 

 flower, and quite close the charming and. to me, 

 new variety bi-color, the mixed tints of puri^le 

 and white in each bell giving a very attractive 

 shade of colour : this variety has the com- 

 pact habit of M. ]>. alba, and is a great 

 acquisition. 



But to Erica Maweana I wovild give first i)lace. 

 This is a beautiful thing — habit, dwarf and com- 

 ]iact ; foliage, a lovely shade of dark shining 

 green thickly fringed, as its ])arent E. ciliaris, 

 with larger and darker bells than that variety, 

 blooming from July to November, robust and 

 vigorous, it leaves nothing to be desired. 



This heath was discovered in Portugal by 

 Mr. (lieorge Maw in 1872, and is. I believe, a 

 natural hybrid of E. ciliaris. 



Quite close was the finest white Ling I have ever 

 seen — C. vulgaris tomentosa. At this date the 

 common white Ling is fading, but this seemed 

 in full glory, the foliage is greyish green and 

 the flower si)ikes are extra long and well 

 covered. 



C. V. aurea, very dwarf and very golden, made 

 an excellent foil for E. Aljiortii, which has very 

 dark green foliage and deep crimson flowers^ — a 

 most distinct and pleasing variety. 



The Cornish heath, E. vagans, was represented 

 in two varieties, red and white, the latter, I think, 

 the more desirable colour. 



E. tetralix, both pink and white, had wandered 

 lower down the banks, and was growing almost 

 at the water side in the moist peaty soil, which 

 is its natural habitat, but so accommodating is it 

 that with me it flourishes and blooms the whole 

 season from early summer to late autumn in a 

 dry sunny ])osition where scattered stones alone 

 save it froui being ])arched. 



The varieties of the Scotch Heath — E. cinerea — 

 were all beautiful, the most striking being a 

 hybrid " found in Ireland," having a rose and 

 white bell : the double-flowered E. c. mackii was 

 pretty and quaint-looking, and the varieties in 

 bright rose and white were good. In a sheltered 

 position. Erica codonodes was thriving, the 

 peculiar light green of the foliage being very- 

 remarkable 



On the op])osite bank and in a lower, more 

 moist and sheltered position, there is a charming 

 colony of Menziesia caerulea, a rare native and a 

 real gem : this tiny shrub has dark, stiff, shining 

 green leaves ; grows only about six inches high, 

 each little branch being surmounted by a tuft of 

 pinkish bells on stems, the bells being about the 

 size of those of Men. polifolia : and (juite close 

 to this treasure and growing still further into the 

 shelter was a collection of the holly fern in such 

 evident contentment that one made in.stinctively 

 a mental note of the conditions. 



As I turned homewards my one regret was that 

 the owner was unable to see and enjoy that on 

 which he had bestowed his labour. 



H. 8. W. 



Scutellaria Mociniana 



Thkhe are a number of useful flowering i>lants 

 which are rarely seen in ])rivate gardens, and the 

 one quoted above is no excc])tion to the rule, but 

 it is a subject which should certainly be grown 

 for furnishing a display in the intermediate house 

 during the winter months. By striking a few 

 cuttings at intervals it covdd be had in bloom at 

 other periods of the year. It is a meniber of 

 the Labiate fanxily, and forms an ui)right shrubby 

 plant, with terminal heads of closely-packed 

 intense scarlet flowers, it is a native of Mexico, 

 and was introduced about flfty yeai-s ago. 



Propagation by cuttings s easy, as they strike 

 readily if inserted in sandy soil, and kept in a close 

 frame for a week or two until rooted. At this 

 stage they nmst be ])otte(l off singly, the ordinary 

 com])ost being employed. As growth advances 

 they should be giv<'u receptacles 5 or ti inches in 

 diaineter, and when these are flUed with roots an 

 occasional stinuilant may be a])))lied until the 

 scapes api)ear. 



Some plants may be ])inched freely, but the 

 subject under notice iiuist not be stopped too 

 frequently, and then only in the early stages, as 

 the best heads of bloom are borne on strong 

 growths only. A much better effect is produced 

 by three or 'four stout shoots than seven or eight 

 of smaller diniensions. Through the sununer 

 months a greenhouse tem])erature will sufflce, 

 and the plants should be kei)t fairly near the 

 glass. 



T. W. B. 



