io8 



IRISH GARDENING 



Mount Usher. Co. Wicklow. 



A UAV at Mr, Wal pole's j,Mr,lcu i.-, ,,n\\ uuithilv 

 a|i|»ivciati'il l»y tliosf (It'cply \iis(i| in lioii ii ull me 

 aii<l it would nM|iiirt' an aliln piii to <!<> jiislici' 

 to all that, is U. l..- s.-.-ii tli.iv. \| tli.- sain.- tim.- 

 cvfi-y lover of ual.ire liiuls ililiLciit in liiis taiiions 

 ■,'ar<l.-ii. so iMMutiliilly sil ii.il .•.! an. I so naturalh 

 arrariired that, one s.arcelv ohseives either wiiJI 

 or l.oun.lary. the wooded Wicklow hills and 

 meadows lorniinL,' a perfect settini,' to the coin- 

 preliensive collection of trees and l.l;lnt^s wldch 

 Mv. U'alpole has l)r..ut,'ht Lo^.-ther. and whi.h ar.- 

 so well tended liv his j^ardeiu-r ^[r. Ko\. 



At. t.lie time of tin- writer's visit the HIumIo- 

 ilendrons an»l A/.aleas were almost past, also t he 

 ijreater i>art of the Primulas, which <lo so well 

 then-. W'it.h a few precocious ..xceptions tlie 

 J{i>ses were not yet in hlooin, liut there was an 

 ahundanee of ^o(kI thiTiiis to entertain a visitor 

 for as nuiny lumrs as he eared to stay. The 

 eidlection of rare sluuhs and trees is very exten- 

 sive and of ahsorl)in<,' intei'est. Th?' w<'ll-known 

 Chilian tree. Ahutilon vitifolhim. was in i^rand 

 form; some sju'cimens nu st he ahoiit :{<> feet hi^h. 

 and were i,'lorionsly (lowered all ovei' with the 

 eharminj; por<-elain hlue flowers. The white 

 variety was no loss hea\itif\il, and a dee])er hlue 

 kind, raised from seed, was extra good. Ainonysl 

 other large specimens nothing was m()re striking 

 than Crinodendron hookeri, lieavily laden witli 

 crimson flowers, and always a feature at .Mount 

 Usher, where it does extraordinai-ily well. Hioad 

 si)eoiniens 12 feet or so in height wereoidy planted 

 abont ten years ago. Hucalyptus in many 

 varieties were grand, the young growths shining 

 like silk in the sun. K. viiuinalis. E. cordata. and 

 the dwaifer intenselv glaucous Vj. coccifi'ra were 

 specially n..ticeable. ' .Slagnolia Watsoni still Lore 

 some of its harulsonu' flowers, perfuming its entire 

 neighhourhood. Tlie .(udas tree was well covered 

 on trunk and hi'anches with its eurio\is fascicles 

 of pink or purplish flowers. Xo one could fail to 

 admire the giant Potato Trees (Solanum crispuju) 

 ascending almost :}() feet, and profusely flowered 

 both on wall and tree trunk. Benthamia fragifera 

 was covered with bloom, and the Himalayan 

 Buddleia colvillei was a huge si)ecimen with 

 abundant panicles of its beautiful rose-coloui'ed 

 flowers. There were large specimens of Pitto- 

 sporum crassifolium with umbels of chocolat<- 

 crimson flowers, and P. eugenioides was a line 

 example, ^'iburnum tomentosuiu was sjjecialh 

 good, <me tree, 10 feet in diameter, floweiing 

 profusely on each tier of the hj-oad horizontal 

 branches. The now well-known and lovely l{osa 

 :N[oyesi was in a proiidnent p(»sition alongside the 

 broad undulating grass walk, w here it is a ideasure 

 to linger, and never more beautiful than in the 

 late afternoon of a line day, when the western 

 sun slants across the gardens and lights up in 

 charming fashion the more distant groimds al)out 

 the house, whidi are gay with herbaceous flowers 

 and alpine i)lants. But before i)assing to these. 

 mention nmst be made of the crimson-barked 

 Drimys aromatica, Kalmia latifolia covered with 

 its pretty rosy flow-el's, the neat-growing .Tamesia 

 americana in flower, Illicium religio.suTu (held 

 sacred by the .Tai)anese), and the charming 

 Calceolaria violacea which flourislies in great 



ma^-scs in tin- tavour.-d garden, hcin- >nio|.hcr.-d 

 with ll..wers against ualK .iiid under tr.-es. 

 ihugnumsia sanguini;i .on! othc.?. \ .iiicl irs do 

 \Ncll here and were well llMU,.r,..l : and Ccr.idi- 

 phylhim j.iponicum w a- -trikini: with its beaut i- 

 ruli\ tinted foliage, hut ^\,:u-,- ,m'\ a<lmits .d' 

 releren.e to .a feu .d tile nuinerous shrubs which 

 .ittracl attention. 



.\rnongst ro<-k plant- l'..nt.-t enion p>-ma!a. 

 (ieiMnium lamasf liense. I ,it lio.-iiernmm inter- 

 r.iediiini, ami c.untless others, were in splendid 

 toiiu. .1,1,1 there w.is .1 remarkal)le specimen of 

 1 1 \ perii-u 111 tipl.ins with u'l'owths some feet in 

 length : it \\ ill he ,i sight when it (lowers. The 

 water an<l ho- uanieii- wcri' vei'y attriiclive. 

 showing good masse- of Primula cockburniana. 

 Prirmda b dleyana in very rich colour. Ajug.i 

 uenevensis. Pcdygonum spha'i'ostachyum doini; 

 better than it isusualK s.M-n. also the pale pink 

 P. vivipanim: .Myos.d is'Welw itschii was beautifid. 

 .ind lloust.onia cnprulea had been a mass of 

 tlower. 



The watei' arran-4.-uients are .lelight ful . and ;. 

 walk alom,' the plank i.ath over the last-runtdnu 

 stream, gentlv brushing i)ast th.' ferns which 

 cloth.- t!ie high banks on .-ith.-r sid.-. h-aves om-'s 

 .ilipetiti- f..r furlh.-r stu.lv .)f this wonderful 

 garden r.-freshe.l an.l stimulated. 



Th.- wo.xllaml is to th.- visitor a pla.-.- of many 

 " limls." aiul here the seedlings from .Mec.)no|isis 

 a.uleata afforded .)ne of the chief of a day of 

 many pleasures. Its cool blue flowers — uid such 

 a Ijlm- ! with golden stamens — were perfectly 

 .lelightful. A(|uilegia ccerulea, near by. was 

 anotlu-r tr.'asure. and on a well-clothed wall 

 houiuling th.' w.i.xl the climbing TTydrange.i 

 (Schi/.ophragma h v.lraiige.ii.j.'s) was rampant and 

 cover.'.l with fl-.w'ers. Otu- h-av.-s .\[ount I'sh.'r 

 well lill.'.l ami r.'ui.'ttimr th.' imp..ssi hilit v to 

 .•ihsorh m..r.' full\ in on.- vi-it so ri.h a h'orti- 

 .'ultural f.'ast. 



.1. M. W. 



Thalictrum aquilegifolium. 



This handsome herbaceous plant has been 

 particidarly g<iod this year when <dher horde)' 

 plants liave sutt'ered thr.>ugh tlie long continue. I 

 .Irought. 



When visiting several gardens in Antrim and 

 Down .luring the early i)art of .Tune T was struck 

 with th.' hajjpy ap])earanc.' of this Thalictrum. 

 whi.'h was always c.)nspicu.)us among other 

 herbaceous pl:ints. At Springfield, near lasl)urn. 

 .Mr. Hi.har.ls.n gn.ws it well, and mini. -r.. us s.'lf- 

 s.>wn seedlings wer.' springing U]i in ahundaiu.'. 

 The plant is attractive in all its parts, the .-imi.l.' 

 C.)lumbine-like foliage surm.tunted l)y feathery 

 plumes of ])ale lilac flowers presenting a combina- 

 tion not easily excelled. This is a European 

 species of which there are several varieties, the 

 most distinct ))erha])s being T. aq. atropuri)ureum. 

 Of similar, but more elegant, habit are the two 

 n.'W Cliinese species — viz.. T. Delavayi and T. 

 dipter.icarpum — both .)f which one hopes soon 

 to see planted as freely as the .dder kind. In the 

 cas.' of th.' Chinese species th.' rt.iwers are 

 improved l)y th.' development .d' the sepals, which 

 ;ii'e wanting in T. a.piilegifoliu m. 



