IKISH GARDENING 



lot 



considerable distance away. Not far from the 

 Pyrethrum a fine mass of a dozen or so liandsome 

 ])lants of Rhododendron Phik Pearl was a 

 glorious sight, the trusses and individual flowers 

 of enormous size, the clear pearly pink colour 

 being an admirable set off against the shrubs 

 l)ehind, and enhanced by a judicious mingling of 

 orange-yellow Azaleas, the whole producing a 

 unique and very lovely picture. Again, towards 

 tlie entrance a long new border had been 

 planted with Antirrhinums in variety, which 

 were filling out fast, and wliich we hope to see 

 and comment on later. 



Two large beds near by were planted with 

 the perpetual flowering Carnations — Mrs. Burnett 

 and Britannia respectively— and should be 

 productive of a wealth of bloom later on. A 

 bay of Anchusa, Dropmore variety, was throwing 

 u]i an abundance of spikes soon to be crowned 

 with their handsome blue flowers. The 

 hawthorns, a well-known feature of the Phoenix 

 Park, were in their full beauty of red, white and 

 pink, and formed a beautiful picture with many 

 fine specimens of Laburnum. Time did not 

 permit of a visit to the large shrubbery sur- 

 romiding the Viceregal Lodge, where a fine 

 collection of shrubs in generous masses always 

 presents something beautiful and interesting 

 no matter when visited. 



At Stephen's Green the lifting of early 

 flowering bulbs was in full progress, and the 

 woT'k of filling up again proceeding rapidly, so 

 that by tlie end of the month a good display 

 is again ensured. Meanwhile mixch of beauty 

 and interest is to be seen, flowering shrubs and 

 perennials again proving their value for main- 

 taining the display during the interval between 

 the spring and summer bedding. Diervillas, 

 or as they are more commonly called Weigelias, 

 were at once noticeable freely planted among 

 the evergreens mainly composing the shrub- 

 beries. The buslies were laden with lovel}^ 

 sprays of pink, rose, and red flowers, making a 

 truly beautiful display, and demonstrating the 

 value of Diervillas for planting in a compara- 

 tively poor soil and smoky atmosphere. Here, 

 too, laburnums and thorns, are used with fine 

 effect, and certainly rank with any trees or 

 shrubs of recent introduction, and many of the 

 latest novelties are grown at 8te])hen's Green. 



In the recently constructed rockwork many 

 rare and beautiful plants are begimiing to 

 establish themselves, and in the course of 

 another season or so sliould make a fine feature. 

 Oxalis enneaphylla was represented by a lovely 

 (•huu|) full of flowers, and although uiost of the 

 phiuts luid Ijcen too recently plaut{>(l to show 

 their full beauty, good exam])les were noted of 

 Lewisia HoweUii, Pentstemon Davidsoni, some 

 of the new shru])])y Potentillas. so useful for 

 bold rockwork, and hosts of other new as well as 

 older plants which only require time to estabUsh 



to show their beauty and delight the thousands 

 who daily pass through this popular city park. 

 Near the big lake, but cut off from it by a bank 

 of trees and shrubs, a small pond of irregular 

 outline was a year or two ago constructed for 

 Water Lilies. The margins and slopes sur- 

 rounding it have been f)lanted with choice 

 Rhododendrons and other shrubs and moisture- 

 loving plants. Rhododendron Pink Pearl was 

 here too in full flower, and near by a few plants 

 of R. Sappho were well flowered. Erigeron 

 Philadelphicus was flourishing in the moisture 

 and just opening its pink flower heads, while 

 Primulas and C'yprepediums were also noted. 

 A good bush of the uncommon Daphne 

 caucasica was bearing quantities of white 

 flowers. 



Many of the new Barberries and Cotoneasters 

 from China have recently been planted in the 

 shrubberies, and will, as years go by, become 

 increasingly beautiful and interesting. An 

 immense number of other plants are grown 

 throughout the park, to Avhich we hope to refer 

 in a subsequent issue. From the foregoing 

 brief remarks it will be seen that Dublin has 

 reason to be jiroud of her parks. B, 



Exochorda macrantha. 



This handsome May-flowering shrub, whicli is 

 shown on the right of our illustration, is one of 

 the best plants in the garden at that season. 

 In many gardens it will doubtless flourish as as 

 open bush, but in the Dublin district it flowers 

 most freely when trained against a wall. The 

 flowers, which are pure white, are produced 

 from the ripened wood of the previous j'^ear on 

 racemes from three and a half to four inches 

 long. The flowers are set close together, being 

 individually an inch and more across. The petals 

 are broad and touching each other, occasionally 

 overlapping, the flowers presenting a fairly 

 symmetrical appearance, as shown in the ])ic- 

 ture. The leaves are from two to four inches 

 long by one and a half inches wide, the lower 

 half of the leaf entire and the u]iper toothed 

 towards the apex. 



E. racemosa Wilsoiii, shown on the left of the 

 illustration, flowers about the sauio time as E. 

 macrantha. It difl'ers, howevc, as will be seeu 

 in the longer laxer raceme, the flowers set more 

 widely apart, and the petals narrower, giving 

 the flower a rather starry appearance. The 

 leaves m this variety vary in length from two 

 to four inches by one and a half inches wide, 

 the toothing of the margins varying consider- 

 ably, souie leaves showing none, others wholly 

 toothed, while yet others show dentation only 

 towards the apex. E. racemosa Wilsoni is a 

 recent introduction from China, and will yet 

 become i)opular anu)ng flower lovers. The first 

 named shrub is regarded as a hybrid. 



