IRISH GARDENING 



61 



Perpetual Flowering Carnations. Gardens for Small Country Houses.* 



These Carnations were formerly regarded purely 

 and simply as indoor plants, but of late years they 

 have been used with considerable success as 

 bedding- plants. 



The illustration shows a bed, composed of the 

 varieties Duchess of Devonshire, Mrs. H. 

 Burnett and Mikado : the bed was planted in 

 April with flowering sized plants and was photo- 

 graphed in September. For spring planting, 

 plants from 5-inch pots are recommended, as they 

 soon come into flower and will produce good 

 blooms right on into the autumn. 



The ground must be well prepared beforehand. 

 and the soil must be free from wire worms and 

 other underground pests : if danger is feared from 

 this source use " Fumerite," one of the pest 

 exterminators 

 for the soil. 



In the event 

 of dry weather 

 it will be found 

 of the greatest 

 possible assis- 

 tance to the 

 plants to give 

 them a top 

 dressing of 

 stable manure 

 and occasional 

 soa kings of 

 water. Very 

 little care is 

 required, ex- 

 cept to keep 

 the plants 

 staked, and, 

 should green- 

 fly or any 

 other insect 

 pes]t attack 

 them, a. spray- 

 ing w i t h an 

 insecticide will 

 soon get rid vh,.ir, ;,„i r> ^ 



of this trouble. ™°'° b ' J1 PERPETUAL Flow 



When t h'e 

 plants have finished flowering they may be 

 layered, or cuttings may be taken. 



Where the locality is damp and cold it is better 

 to lift the plants in the autumn and keep them 

 in a frame for the winter months. 



^* 5^* ^^ 



Saxifraga apiculata. 



This charming Saxifraga is one of the prettiest 

 and easiest grown of its family, with the added 

 advantage of being an early bloomer. The soft 

 primrose yellow flowers, borne on delicate stems 

 from 3-5 inches high, rise from pretty rosettes 

 of stiff linear leaves in racemes of 6-9 flowers. 

 Planted in a sheltered, sunny position in the rock 

 garden it spreads rapidly and soon forms a fine 

 carpet, which is attractive even when not carrying 

 flower. The variety alba, which, like the type 

 plant, flowers about the end of March, is an 

 exquisite little gem. and is a pre-eminently 

 suitable subject for the rockery, where it looks 

 more natural than when grown in pots. S. 

 apiculata is said to be a hybrid between S. 

 aretioides x S. scardica. 



By Gertrude Jekyll and Lawrence Weaver. 



This book is concerned with the problems of 

 garden design and also treats largely upon the 

 masonry ornamentations of gardens. 



The teaching is mainly by description of gar- 

 dens and the methods adopted in makingthe mosl 

 of variously situated sites ; for instance, Owl pen 

 Manor is a hillside garden, about an acre in extent 

 A plan is given, also an illustration of the house, 

 with surroundings, and various points of view 

 and sectional plans. The garden is treated in a 

 formal manner. 



Quite the reverse of this type is Millhead, a 

 garden in Surrey, formerly the site of old build- 

 ings. The treatment of Millhead shows and 

 describes how a garden may be terraced in suc- 

 cessive levels. 

 Although but 

 half an acre 

 in extent, it 

 "i'ivessome ex- 

 * ceedingly 

 pretty peeps 

 and conveys 

 the idea of 

 a pleasant 

 garden, a 

 w e a 1 t h of 

 flower, shade 

 and rest. 



The follow- 

 ing w o r d s 

 convey sen- 

 sible advice : 

 " In the ar- 

 rangement of 

 any site, the 

 natural con- 

 ditions of the 

 place should 

 first be stud- 

 ied. If they 

 are emphatic, 

 or in any 

 way distinct, 

 they should 

 be carefully maintained and notatered. Jt is 

 grievous to see, in a place that bias some well- 

 defined natural character, that character de- 

 stroyed or stultified, for it is just that quality 

 that is most precious.'" 



Several gardens are described so as to cover 

 many of the problems which crop up in garden 

 planning. There are chapters upon steps and 

 stairways, ballustrades and walls, climbing 

 plants:' while retaining walls and their planting 

 is an interesting chapter, and prettily illustrated. 

 Water in the formal garden receives full treat- 

 ment : while pergolas, gates, garden houses, sun- 

 dials and seats all receive a fair share of attention. 

 The concluding chapter deals with rock gardens, 

 and the illustrations of these are very effective, 

 while the advice given is sound and practical. 



The book forms a large and handsome volume, 

 profusely illustrated and well printed. Its general 

 tendency is a leaning towards the formal types 

 of garden, and to those who favour this style 

 the book can be strongly recommended. 



* " Gardens for Small Country Houses." Published at the Offices 

 of Country Life, 20 Tavistock Street, lYivent Garden, and by George 

 Xewnes, Ltd. 



erixg Carnations 



[Young & Co. 



