5° 



IRISH GARDENING 



with us, and constitute an important section of 

 our garden plants, especially in the rockery. 

 Many of our grey-leaved species come from 

 regions other than the Mediterranean, but most 

 of them are southern. 



To my mind the grey-leaved plants are parti- 

 cularly effective in the rock-garden, especially 

 when they are properly contrasted with brigb.1 

 green things, such as cushions of the mossy 

 Saxifrages, and dark green masses of Iberis, 

 Lithospermuin, and so on. Coming, too, as 

 most of them do, from sunny well-drained 

 habitats, they are thoroughly at home on dry 

 rock-work ; most of them in fact will nourish 

 exceedingly if planted on the top of a mortar- 

 built wall, where moisture is at a minimum. 



If we want a grey back-ground for the rock- 

 garden we have several shrubs of tins type 

 available — Phlomis fruticosa and others of that 

 genus, the silver-leaved Atriplex halimus, and 

 so on. Then there are smaller shrubs, such as 

 Atriplex canescens. Artemisia tridentata (the 

 prevailing plant on the American alkali deserts), 

 Ballota Pseudo-dictamnus, the beautiful Con- 

 volvulus Cneorum, and those two excellent 

 Senecios — the grey-leaved 8. Grayii. and S. 

 compacta, which has smaller green leaves 

 edged with white and pure white below. With 

 these dwarf shrubs may be placed the series of 

 sub-shrubs of which the Lavenders are a type — 

 characteristic Mediterranean growth forms — 

 such as the Helichrysums with their felted white 

 stems, the Santolinas, Tanacetum aucherianum 

 and T. argenteum, Pyrethrum densum, &c. — all 

 grey-leaved evergreen bushy plants. Among 

 these, the strong growing prostrate Othonnopsis 

 cheirifolia soon makes a bed of grey succulent 

 foliage studded with golden flower-heads, and no 

 position is too hot or dry for it. The Artemisias 

 supply some charming grey plants of sprawling 

 habit — the comparatively large A. Stelleriana, 

 covered with dense felt, and the more delicate 

 ailky A. sericea, A. argentea and many others, 

 down to the tiny A. mutellina, The native 

 A. maritima, which is sub-shrubby, is one of the 

 whitest and best of the genus, and A. Roezlii, of 

 somewhat similar growth, is a graceful plant. 

 Bui for masses of silvery foliage the Aehilleas 

 take first place. Some of them, like A. umbel- 

 lata, A. serbica, and the one commonly found 

 in gardens under the name A. argentea,. will 

 form a cataract of silver if planted on the fop 

 of a rock or wall ; others are of more tufted 

 habit, such as A. Kellereri, A. Wilczekii, A. 

 Clavenna>, and A. Fraasii (I consider these four 

 about the best of the lot). A. ageratifolia 

 (=Anthemis Aizoon), and the taller A. pseudo 

 pectinata. All the Aehilleas. to.,, are abundant 

 flowerers. and look delightful in .June. 



But I have been treating the grey-leaved 

 plants rather from the point of view of foliage, 



and shall continue on those lines. Helianthe- 

 mum tomentosum. a vigorous Rock-rose with a 

 wealth of golden flowers, makes a fine patch of 

 grey, contrasting well with the many green- 

 leaved species of the same genus. Diotis 

 candidissima. a rare inhabitant of gravelly 

 beaches, is the whitest of all our native plants, 

 every pail being covered with a dense coat of 

 wool. It needs a very open sandy soil to make 

 it feel at home. Several of the Hawkweeds 

 (Hieracium) are good foliage plants, notably H. 

 gymnocephalum, with its white felted growth, 

 and H. villosum, with its shaggy leaves and 

 flower-heads. Then, of course, we have the 

 best-known of all woolly plants, the Edelweiss 

 (Leontopodium spp.), in which the coating of 

 hairs is densest on the flower-heads. The dwarf 

 Marrubiums, such as M. velutinum and M. 

 sericeum, are pleasing little downy plants, with 

 whorls of whitish flowers. Another grey labiate 

 is Teucrium aureum. which is a striking thing, 

 with its display of silver foliage and golden 

 flowers. The Antennarias are all effective felty 

 plants, some white only on the under side of the 

 leaf (as in A. dioica). some on both sides. Even 

 some of the grasses develop a woolly coat, 

 Alopecurus lanatus being a noted example- a 

 pretty and interesting plant, but inclined to 

 damp off in our wet climate. It is unnecessary 

 to refer to the numerous Pinks, who.se glaucous 

 foliage adds so much to the colour-effect of the 

 rock-garden. Some of the dwarf iEthionomas, 

 such as A. pulchellum. have similar waxy leaves, 

 and look delightful when this foliage is beset 

 with rose-coloured blossoms. The Silver Saxi- 

 frages owe their colour to the presence of little 

 pits with a limy incrustation, giving a handsome 

 white margin in the larger species, such as S. 

 Cotyledon. S. longifolia, S. elatior, and so on : 

 while in some of the minute Kahschias the 

 whole leaf is grey, as in S. Salomoni and some of 

 the forms of S. Burseriana. 



Many other genera supply us with effective 

 grey-leaved plants — Arabis, Alyssum, Draba, 

 Acsena, Potentilla, Onosma, Androsace and so 

 on : and if we wish to see hairy coats developed 

 in minute perfection we may break our hearts 

 trying to grow some of the delightful and 

 difficult members of the Aretia section of the 

 last-named genus. 



^* G^* S^* 



The Dog's Tooth Violet, Erythronium Dens- 

 canis. It seems strange that this easily grown 

 bulbous plan! and its many varieties is not more 

 often seen in gardens. The flat marbled leaves 

 alone make it attractive, and I lie modest flowers, 



which will insist on Looking downwards add to 

 its charm. It will grow almost anywhere excepl 

 in 1 |\e hot sunshine. Kill mi a hank, where t lie 

 grass is not too strong, or on the corner of a liit 

 of lawn, or even in t lie herbaceous border, near 



the edge, it is always a pleasure to see. 



