IRISH GAKDtlNlNG 



1 



the iiplanil marslios of tlu- Pyrenees quite as 

 plenlilul as Daisies in our native pastures. 

 Thai enertjetic Alpine traveller aiul still more 

 enertjetic penman, Mr. R. l-"arrer, speaks ol 

 this species as follows: — " In e\er\- temperate 

 nioiinlain-rani^e ot' llie world. \\ lierever Primulas 

 niaN' be tounil, you are always eerl.iiii o( findini; 

 I', tarinosa." It is common in the llinialays, 

 on llie Rocky Mountains, anil nol nnconnnon 

 in .Northern h'nt^land, .-uul I once louml .i plant 

 in llower on the .Slonc llills in Kini^'s County, 

 yet I always judi^ed that fellow as an escipe, 

 but if il w as an escape it had made a home lor 

 itself there, as several other unllowercd plants 

 were keepins^ it company ; it is a plant that 

 could be naturalized in this country with ad- 

 vantage in larije rock s^ardens where grassy 

 slopes form part of the landscape. There is a 

 white varietv which is very rare indeed, but il is 

 a jewel of exceeding' excellence, and unlike most 

 white forms of coloin-ed flowered plants it is a 

 sturdy plant In nature P. farinosa seeks stiff 

 marsh\- places, and 1 think th;it is the best 

 i;uide for home culture. I find it likes bog' 

 tre.'Umcnl so long; as it is not staiuling ill water, 

 vet il does well with me in a much dryer place 

 in a mixture of leat-mould and loani. It is rather 

 interesting to place one of the leaves of this 

 plant in water; you will notice that the top 

 side is easilv wetted, but nol so the luider side, 

 which is covered with the meal before spoken 

 ol. This substance, savs Kerner, is wax which 

 protects the leaf by hindering the access of 

 water into the pores or stomala which exist on 

 lower surface. If the leaves become saturated 

 the natural gases of the atmosphere would be 

 cut off from the leaves, and the whole economy 

 of the plant become dormant, and decay soon 

 set in. This is one of nature's safeguards, as 

 P. farinosa likes a damp home, yet in these 

 conditions it is sometimes likely to become 

 iniTiiersed in water, and has this means ot 

 protecting itself in time of need, so I take it 

 that this plant is safer on the wet side rather 

 th.an that of dry treatment. 



P. scotica (Scotch). — Flowers rich purple, 

 yellow eye, lube of the corolla equals calyx, 

 and longer than the lobes, few flowers on 

 imihel, leaves obovate-lanceolate, evenly 

 toothed, powdery on both surfaces. This plant 

 is spoken of by some writers as a form o( P. 

 farinosa. It is not my purpose to debate that 

 ipiestion, being quite satisfied that its beauty is 

 enough to justify individual note. True, it 



is a lessor edition of I', f.irinosa, but it is almost 

 exer-flowering. It was in (lower with mc from 

 .\pril to August the past two .seasons, some 

 plants giving three umbels of flowers at difl'erent 

 seasons. It likes a dryer situaticin than P. 

 farinosa aiul a moi c sutniv aspect. I lancy it 

 flowers itself to death, for plants that have 

 flowered continually with me have dieil, but it 

 generally seeds freely, and germinates quite 

 ..[uickly ;ifler sowing. This plant is found on 

 the coast ot Wales, in Scotland, and the 

 Orkneys in abimdance. No words can picture 

 the glories of this wee species, and where 

 choice Alpine Prinndas are grown, this, above 

 all, should be there. 



P. oflicinalis (Cowslip). — Mowers bright 

 yellow, sometimes brownish red, in umbels which 

 droop to the side, calyx lobes obtuse, corolla 

 funnel shape — June ; leaves oblong, spoon- 

 shaped, covered with hairs, wrinkled. 1 he 

 niain leaf is thrown away from the plant by a 

 stalk w-hich is w'inged with leaf-like substance. 

 This species is useful for stony banks in the 

 wild garden or woodland, where it generally 

 seeds and becomes at home. In some parts ot 

 the British Isles il is rare, and in these districts 

 il may be foimd to want more care in culture ; 

 the same treatment as is given to the " X'ulgaris '" 

 section will suit il. There is a form known as 

 Macrocalvx in which the calyx abnornially 

 dexelops a leafy growth extending beyond the 

 flower proper ; this is known as Jack-in-the- 

 Green. In gardens it has quite a charm of its 

 own, and is worthy of cultivation. l-'rom this 

 species the sub-species P. variabilis is said to 

 arise, and from it all the multicoloured Polyan- 

 thus have sprung, including a very fine blue 

 varietv named Blue Beauty, and a very fine 

 form in Ladham's Brilliant, which obtained an 

 award of merit at the Royal Horticultural 

 Society in 1910, a most glorious rich crimson o( 

 good shape and a good robust grower. 



P. elatior (Oxslip).— Flowers pale yellow, 

 horizontal or drooping, peduncled umbels, 

 corolla limb concave, leaves on winged petioles, 

 about one foot high ; it is intermediate between 

 P. vulgaris and P. oflficinalis. P. elatior amcena 

 is a purple form of this from the continent of 

 Europe.which has given rise to a true blue form ; 

 it is very rare in cultivation, yet I am told that 

 this is plentiful on the Spanish side of the 

 Pyrenees in the lower meadows. 1 imported 

 some last season, but so far they have not 

 flowered. 



