IRISH (;ari)i:ni\g 



I \M\RY 



tion o! tlu-sf plants, perhaps in oik- set 

 only ill any particular j,'arilcii. is as 

 marked as it is ^-ritilyin^', and brings us 

 nearer to nature, to happiness, and to content- 

 ment with our j^'ardens. Where those plants 

 have been taken up, the owners of the j,'ardens 

 have in many eases become, not only owners, 

 but jjrowers. and they ha\ e .ictiuired an accurate 

 and critical knowledj,'e o( the natine, habits, 

 and requirements o( their pels. whicli 

 adds a /e>t and interest to t'arden work and 

 frequently brinj,'s that commendation to the 

 jfardener which he sii4;het.i tor in \ain under 

 former conditions, and .C'^cs also that same 

 zest and interest to him which stimulates to 

 further exertion. The plants in each o\' these 

 particular i,'-roups have increased in number, in 

 beauty, and in interest. In herbaceous plants 

 we have still most of the old favourites, but we 

 have in .addition many beautiful new forms ol 

 j^arden oris^^in, and many recently inlroduced 

 species. Take such popular "vucni as Del- 

 phinium, Trollius, Spiriea, Phlox, Penstemon, 

 Iris, P;eonia, .\nemone, Papaver, Campanula, 

 Helianthus,.\ster, Kniphofia, Kremurus, Lobelia, 

 and will anyone contend that there has not 

 been proifress in this department. Among-st the 

 alpines the advance is even more marked. An 

 intelligent interest in this class of plant had led 

 to the conclusion that many old rock gardens 

 were faulty in construction, and they have been 

 re made, or new rock gardens have been con- 

 structed. Coarse plants which had no claim 

 to be classed as alpines have been banished to 

 the herbaceous border, and to meet the demand 

 thus created for more species to fill the 

 vacancies, alpines have been introduced from 

 all parts of the world to such an extent that 

 special lists are now published of alpines only. 

 In .Aquatics the same story may be told. 

 Latour Marliac's hybrid Nymphieas gave the 

 necessary impetus, and in most gardens where 

 such a thing is possible a pond of varying 

 dimensions is now to be found— a pond, not 

 taken up with spouting dolphins and mis-shapen 

 fairies, or nymphs in impossible and contorted 

 positions, but glistening with nature's jewels, 

 flowers from pure white through every shade 

 to yellow^, and to deep red, set in the best of 

 all settings, their own beautiful green foliage, 

 the whole framed with edgings of Primulas, 

 Calthas, Iris, Lyslmachia, Orchid, and other 

 plants which delight in the swamp. Is not this 



progress!-' It is, houe\er, in liaidy-llowering 

 shrubs th.it the most adxance has been made. 

 I.emoine. at .Nancy. sl;iited cross-fertilising 

 several groups such as deut/ia and phila- 

 delphus. Results were slow at fust, but when 

 once these plants became known they c|uickly 

 c.uight on. I.emoine recognised the possi- 

 bilities which lay latent in such plants as 

 ncutzia discolor, and I), pdrvi/loni, from China, 

 PJiiltidcIphHs viicroplivllus from Colorado, and 

 using our good old garden friends Dvutzia 

 ^riicilis and I'liildilcl f^liiis coroiinrius as parents 

 to male with these noxellies, he produced 

 the g;irden races which c;u-|-y his name, 

 and add so immeiisel} lo the wealth o'i 

 of our gardens. In all groups o^ shrubs we 

 have advanced. Willi the \ewry barberries 

 and bicHtnis we could plant a garden ;ind make 

 it beautiiul. Rcises single, and semi-doubles, 

 rampant, decumbent, or bush-like, .ill .-uld to 

 the list. C'eancilluis. Weigela, Skimmia, Rho- 

 dodendron. Magnolia amongst others have ad- 

 v.inced. 1 hardl} think it necessary to add 

 further proof that there has been even in the 

 last four years a distinct advance in horticul- 

 ture, and that Ireland has participated in the 

 advance. 



The Knotweeds (Polygonum). 



ii\ J. W. Rksant, Royal Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin. 



WITH the revival oi interest in wild 

 gardening and the cultivation of hardy 

 plants generally — plants possessing 

 beauty of form and foliage, as well as flower, 

 are yearly being more and more requisitioned 

 for the furnishing of our gardens. 



Although a few members of the genus poly- 

 gonum have continued to occupy a place by 

 the water-side, in the herbaceous border and on 

 the rock-garden, there are others which have 

 received less attention than their merits de- 

 mand. From the dwarf Polygoniun affine, 6-8 

 inches in height, to the gigantic P. sachaliiieiise 

 is a wide variation, while between them are 

 many worthy species capable of adding much 

 beauty and interest to our gardens. The 

 stronger growers are excellent for forming bold 

 masses near water or by a woodland walk, but 

 should be planted judiciously, having in view 

 their quick-spreading propensities. The dwarf 

 forms add much beauty to the rock-garden and 

 the front of herbaceous borders, while the inter- 



