158 



IRISH GARDENING 



Good Bcdtlinii Plants for a 

 Bad Season. 



E\'FX ill SLicli ;i tr villi; .suiiiuilt as the past certain 

 plants stand out as nood " liedders " in spite 

 of the rain and the adverse conditions. So it 

 111 iv he interesting to note certain subjects which have 

 hravelv stood the test at the People's Gardens, Dublin. 



Going round with the g'enial superintendent he points 

 nut, with emphatic remarks, beds vvliich in an ordinary 

 season should be a blaze of colour, are just a mass 

 of langfled green growth. The blaze of the Geranium 

 is missing, and the gay orange pyramids of the Strepto- 

 solen are just caricatures of wli.it they should be. 

 The soft colours of the llelioliopc have weathered 

 much better, and are quite pleasing. 



The two carpet beds look just as bright and attractive 

 ;is ever. One which has drawn considerable attention 

 has a design with four shamrock leaves — " a sure sign 

 that Home Rule is coming at last " was a remark 

 heard bv the superintendent. The shamrock leaves are 

 worked in the dwarf green Heriiiaria glabra on a 

 ground- work of the golden form of Sagina pilifera. 



The other carpet bed was exceedingly bright with 

 L;av panels of .\Uerii.inthera. Remarking how well 

 ami brighl these looketl, llie superintendent, ever 

 reatl\' to impart inforinalioii, remarked: " Ves, we 

 iiseil to have trouble with the Alternanthera like most 

 other people have, but now for any diHicult plants like 

 these we sterilise the soil, and have found this a great 

 aid. " The way it is done is as follows : — .\ frame four 

 or five feet square, and about eighteen inches deep, is 

 placed over a framework of perforated pipes, the 

 frame is filled with soil and covered with .a lid in which 

 a hole is made for the thermometer. Hot steam is 

 passed through the pipes, by means of which the soil is 

 heated to about 214 degrees; as the time required is 

 only about three minutes, a large quantity of soil may 

 soon be sterilised. 



.Many hard-headed market growers are now going in 

 for sterilising their soil for certain subjects, a sure sign 

 that it is beneficial, and work that pays the grower. 



Two edging plants which never seem to fail are the 

 dwarf Sweet .Myssum and Lobelia Waverley. This 

 Lobelia, Mr. Anderson considers to be far and aw.-iy 

 the best for bedding purposes. The new Lobelia 

 Cathcart has been tried this year, .and .-ilthoiigh the 

 light blue is pleasing and m.ay be useful, yet it does not 

 compare favourably with \\'avi'rle\' foi' freedom in 

 flowering. 



Calceolaria ainplexic.aulis is a plant which has 

 flourished this season ; both old and young plants have 

 been a mass of pale yellow flowers. But it is the 

 I'uchsias which have really saved the situation this 

 last .Xugust, the pyramids being as gaily-decketl as e\ er 

 with their brighl -coloured flowers. 



Marinka, a reliable free-flowering variety, with both 

 sepals and petals red, is a favourite for bedding, good 

 both as a pyramid or a standard. Hut lliis variety is 

 surpassed by one rightly called " Charming," from lop 

 to bottom the plants were pvrainids of ilowcr. It 

 sluiilld he lrul\- rii.tnning lU'Xt yc:iv wlu'il Mr. .\iiderson 



hopes to show ofl"its good points in a bet! mixed with ;i 

 lighter subject or a groundwork o\' souii' silver\'-le,'ived 

 plant. 



Amy Lye Is a large-flowering variety with white 

 lube and sepals and a pink corolla, good also for 

 exhibition purposes. Brilliant is a new variety which 

 is to be tried as a bedder next year; as a pot plant it is 

 very free-flowering and graceful in Habit. The very 

 large fat buds are an ornament in themselves even 

 before they open and disclose the purplish corolla. 



Two good hybrids from Fuchsia fulgens are I'resiilent 

 tiasselli and -A.iidenkeii an Heinrich Heiikel ; they pro- 

 duce their long tubular flowers in greater profusion 

 than their parent, and the colour is brighter, .iiid both 

 succeed well when bedded out in the summer. 



"Queen of the Year" is the name of a v.iiielv of 

 Viola of the Violetta type which has been most 

 attractive by its succession of soft pale-blue flowers. 



The hardy Pentstemon .Soulhgate Gem was still 

 good in September, and next year, when the plants ;ire 

 stronger, it will be still better. .A most striking bed 

 can be made with this Pentstemon and Gallonia 

 c.andicaus thinly planted through it. The graceful 

 white bells of the Galtonia hanging over the rich 

 scarlet of the rentstenion is very telling. 



0( late 3'ears a great improvement has taken place 

 in the .Snapdragons. Some very rich and bright colours 

 may be foiuid in the ii.imed varieties of ihe inlermediaie 

 section which make good and cheap bedding plants. 

 To flower early in the season it is best to rely upon 

 autumn sown plants, so sow the seeds now. 



Leaving the People's Gardens and going low.irds ihe 

 Gough Monument, a glow of orange-red is seen ; coming 

 near, t:)i'ie sees a noble group of Red Hot Pokers or 

 Tritomas, and never have we seen better. The 

 variet>' is known ;is Kniphofia aloiiles nobilis. Imagine 

 a group of twenty or so good clumps, e.ich one bearing 

 two dozen strong flower spikes about six feel high, and 

 one iiia\' get an ide.a of the result. 



Cinerarias. 



By W. 1 1. t"iui:i Ni:, 1 lermitage Gardens, Duiulrum. 



Ar the lime ot writing, these beautiful spring- 

 flowering [ilants shviuld receive ;iltentioii with 

 rt'g.irtl to piitling, &c., if gootl pL'inls are 

 anticipated in Ihe months of March and .April. Their 

 requirements are in no way difticiilt to understaiul. 

 I'loin llie lime the seeds are sown, which sliouUI be 

 from the middle of May lo June, they should be con- 

 stantly kept in a good growing condition. .Seed p.iiis, 

 o;ie foot in diameter, clean and well drained, should be 

 filled with a light compost, consisting of fine loam ami 

 leaf-mould, equal parts, with plenty of good, sharp 

 sand added ; thoroughly mix and make inoderaiely 

 firm within an Inch of top of the pan. Should the mix- 

 lure appear anyway dry, water thoroughly, and allow 

 the soil to settle before sowing. When this is done 

 cover the seeds wiili .1 quarter of an inch of fine soil, 

 press gently lo make the surface even, and water ag.ain 

 lightly ; place the pans in a warm, moist temper.iture. 

 I'luU-r no coiisitleration should the soil be :illowed to 



