IRISH GARDFNING 



'79 



II will be seen from the loreyoing thai the 

 result ot this type ol biiiidiiif,' was an irregular 

 shaped mound with small valleys running up 

 its sides, broken at intervals by ridges or 

 buttress-like shoulders, springing originally 

 from the promontories on the path edge, the 

 whole being composed ot numerous small and 

 somewhat level beds ot irregular shapes and 

 heights, liach of these beds or " pockets " was 

 planted with suitable plants accoriliiig to its 

 aspect and general suitability. 



.At one side ot this rock garden, where the 

 design would give a number of beds well under 

 the eye and lacing S.Ii., the soil was made even 

 more gritty than the general compost, consist- 

 ing roughly of fifty per cent, finely-crushed 

 brick, which had passed through a half inch 

 sieve, the remaining constituents being equal — 

 portions of well-decayed lealy soil, old mortar, 

 good loam and sand. This provided a very 

 happy place for the choicer and slower-grow ing 

 Saxifrages, such as Sax. lingulata, lantoscana, 

 Burseriana. marginata, cochlearis, Roclieliana, 

 Salomon!, I'^lizabeth^u ; .Asperula suberosa, 

 Kdraianthus serpyllitolius, Linum salsoloides 

 nanum, and other dw^arf growing gems. 



On the other side and facing south the 

 moraine w-as built. The method adopted in 

 this case will be found fully dealt with in Irish 

 GAKDE.MNr. of last -March. Here in the moist 

 grit w-ith the merest trace of soil, such charm- 

 ing and none too easy plants as the following 

 thrive: .Silene acaulis, Hdraianthus serpylli- 

 tolius, li. dinaricus, F.. dalmaticus, E.pumilio, 

 .Anemone vernalis, Dianthus alpinus, D. neglec- 

 tus, Petrocallis pyrenaica, Camp. Zoysii, C. 

 excisa, and, till a browsing slug ate the whole 

 plant in a single night, C. cenisia, while last, 

 but not least, that beautiful Campanula .Allionii, 

 which in its season is a mass of flower. 



Immediately below this moraine a series ol 

 bog beds at \arious levels were built, leading 

 down to the pool, merely making basin-like 

 depressions fifteen inches deep, lining with clav 

 and filling in with a compost of peat, leaf-mould 

 and silver sand. In some, where the large 

 Primulas, like P. denticulata and P. cash- 

 meriana, are grown, loam was also added. 



In these moist (though never wet) bog beds 

 P. t'arinosa, frondosa, in\olucrata, Mentha 

 Kequieni, Ciaultheria trichophylla, Pratia angu- 

 lata, Rubus arcticus, Cientiana verna, \'iola 

 cornuta, Nierembergia ri\ularis, several Ericas, 

 and the oak and the beech fern thrive, while in 

 the half-shady nooks .Shortia galacifolia is very 

 much at home. Between the patches and tufts 

 of the foregoing many small bulbs, such as 

 tlalanthus, Xar. cyclamineus, N. Bulbocodiuni 

 ?v//'. citrinus, Fritillarias, and .Muscari make a 

 bright display early in the year. 



On suitable vantage points, such as sub- 



sidiary shoulders in the rock garden, where 

 their quami shape will be seen to the best 

 advantage, dwarf Conifers look very well, 

 particularly il protruding from some steep 

 place in the rock crevices. .Among those which 

 are especially attractive are young plants of 

 Pinus cembr.i, Pinus sylvestris nana, Picea 

 excelsa pygmxa, uhile on more level spots, 

 and near the eye, specimens of the very dwart 

 and pyr.imidal-growing Juniperus hibernica vtir. 

 compressa look extremely well. On hot, dry 

 ledges in grittv soil the Sempervivums are seen 

 to the best advantage, such as .S. arachnoi- 

 deum, S. triste, S. atropurpureum, S. patens, S. 

 filiferum, S. rubicundum (vera) and S. cornutuni 

 being especially decorative, the full exposure 

 bringing out their rich colouring. 



In the steep portions oi the rockery facing 

 south w here crevices exist, w ith a deep root-run 

 behind them, the beautiful silvery stars of Sax. 

 longifblia and the clusters formed ot the minute 

 rosettes of S. cochlearis minor are particularly 

 decorative, while similar positions, but on the 

 shady side, make delightful homes for colonies 

 of Ramondias. These steep places where the 

 rosettes can be inserted in an almost vertical 

 position prevents the wet ever lying on the 

 growths, besides displaying the plants to the 

 best advantage 



.An attractive feature can also be introduced 

 hv making a series of rough stepping stones, or 

 irregular steps, rendered water-tight by tinted 

 cement, down which water can be allowed to 

 trickle, e\entually dripping in a miniature cas- 

 cade into the pool. In the hot weather the 

 liquid sound of the falling water is very wel- 

 come, besides aerating the pool and making 

 nianv places on the somewhat worn steps where 

 the feathered visitors to the garden can drink 

 and bathe. 



.\ piece of iron gas barrel laid into the mass 

 ot' soil before building, and carried along to 

 some convenient spot where an attachment can 

 be made by means of a hose to the water supply. 

 is a ready method of supplying the water with- 

 out it being too evident that its source is no/ a 

 natural one. 



In the pool itseli Water Lilies, such as 

 Xymphita marliacea ■;'(//■. carnea and var. 

 rosea, Aponogeton distachjon, Menyanthes 

 irifoliata, Mvosotis palustris, make a beautiful 

 tlisplay, the surfaces being broken up by patches 

 of the minute floating .Azolla pinnata. 



On the margins of the tin\- pond, which is 

 greatly helped if it " tails " off into a narrow- 

 winding arm of water, plants like Saxifraga 

 peltata, Senecio clivorum. Iris litvigala. Lobelia 

 fulgens, Trollius asiaticus and europieus, and 

 Spinea Peach Blossom make bold features, 

 while subjects of dwarfer growth are found in 

 Primula rosea, P. sikkimensis, P. pulverulenta. 



