IRISH CiAKDtlNiNG 



1 1 



Amaryllis Bclhulomia 



Till'! luMiiliful Belladonna Lilies are iialivcs of 

 South Africa, and '.horeforf accustomed lo long- 

 continued drought and brilliant sunshine. The 

 past hot svnnnier just suited their I'eiiuirenients, ami in 

 consequence they gave a prodigious amount of flower 

 this September. Ihelr luddy llower stems were twc to 

 two and a halfleet high, ca[r\ ing clusters of variously 

 shaded pink fragrant flowers. 



.\ beginner must not expect such a show ol ilowi-r's 

 ;is seen in the photo. \"e.'irly, t'tM' the)' ;irc uncertain in 

 flowering, and after planting take a year or I wo to become 

 established. The lielladoinia grows freely in an open 

 border, but does not flower as well as at the base of a w;ill. 

 .■\ w.'urn groenlunise u;ili, or one witli ;i southern aspect, 



re.'illy charming. Tile Caniia, at the base of a green- 

 house wall, is not protected at all, so it should thrive 

 in ni.'iny gartlens throughout Ireland. 



There are several improvements upon the old Bella- 

 donna. A. H. maxima, as grown by Mr. lledford, of 

 StralVan, is the earliest to flower; it is a grand, bold 

 subject, producing l.'irge clusters of flower.s on tall 

 stems. .\. B. kewensis is also a large form, while .\. 

 |{. bland.i differs only in colour from the type, coming 

 out ;ilniost pure while, ch.'inging to pink as the flower 

 ages. For colour only .\. B. rosea perfecta is hard to 

 beat, it is of such a rich, warm rose. Two new hybrids 

 have been shown this year, h:iving for their parents 

 Kruiisvigi.'i Josephin;e anil Amaryllis Belhadonn.-i ; the 

 olVspring have received half of each generic name, and 

 are calleil Brunsdonna Sander;e and B. ,S. alba. 



A.MAKVLlis Blil-l AL)U.N.N.\ 



At the Base cf a Greenhouse Wall. 



is to be preferred. It is worth going to some trouble 

 to prepare the site for the large bulbs. Take out the 

 soil to two feet or three feet and put in six inches of 

 broken bricks for cirainage, and over this turves to keep 

 the drainage open. If the soil is not good, add some 

 loam, leaf-mould and sand. In planting place the bulbs 

 in groups close up to the wall, and for the first winter 

 cover with bracken. They resent root disturbance, so 

 when digging the border keep away from their roots. 

 The leaves start to grow very early in spring, .ind when 

 the spring is advanced the growth can be encouraged 

 by weak liquid manure, The foliage ripens off early, 

 and can then be removed, for the end of summer is their 

 period of rest. 



The flowers appear in .Scplenibcr without the leaves, 

 but those who object to the unclothed look of the stems 

 could interplant with a foliage subject. A colour com- 

 bination, admired greatly at (ilasnevin, was produced 

 by a purple-lea\etl Canna, which had grciwn into a 

 V'lump of Belladonnas, and the effect produced was 



The showy greenhouse plants often called .Amaryllis 

 are now known as I iippeastrums. One of the parents 

 of these plants is H. .Vckermamii, with large crimson 

 flowers about five inches across. At Glasnevin it 

 flowers yearly, in summer, at the base of a wall ; in 

 fact, it seems just as hardy as the Belladoinia. In 

 gardening dictionaries it is given as a stove plant. 

 There are many plants such as this which might be 

 tested throughout the milder parts of Ireland, which 

 probably will grow well in the open, and readers, when 

 they make a success, should then give their experiences 

 to fellow-workers. 



Stranger, if thy lot has laid 

 In toilsome scenes of busy life, 

 Full sorely may'st thou rue the strife 



Of weary passions ill repaid, 

 In a garden live with me 

 If thou lov'st simplicity. — /.««i/iu/-Hi-, 



