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IRISH GARDENING 



a few acres are collected all that is best worth 

 growing in this favoured climate. In the brilliant 

 flower garden crowded with old and new border 

 plants — Lilies, Roses, Lupins, Salvias, Gera- 

 niums, Poppies, Cistus, Phorniums, Erbiums. 

 &c. — rny eye was first caught by the immense rose 

 and purple blossoms of Cistus purpureus flowering 

 in profusion : with us it. is rather a shy flower. 

 Sparaxis pulcherrima, which was then in bud, is 

 a great feature, and apparently sows Itself all 

 over the garden. Still more wonderful ! Ompha- 

 lodes Luciliae was scattered about after the 

 manner of the garden Forget- me-Not. The seed- 

 ling plants varied a good deal in the size and 

 colour of their leaves. Myosotidium nubile was 

 still sending up a few flowering shoots, which 

 gave one an idea of what the opalescent blue of 

 its spring flowers must have been : and Myo- 

 sotis azorica made sapphire carpets on the 

 ground. 



By the waterside, hog Primulas, many of which 

 were quite ni'\v introductions, appeared, natural- 

 ised; Ourisia coccinea, with us so difficult, in 

 these Irish gardens spreads itself like a " Creeping 

 Jenny " : Irises. Spiraeas, Astilbes, Tradescantias, 

 Saxifraga peltata, Rodgersias, Senecios, and their 

 like appear to take care of themselves. The tall 

 orange flowers of Trollius sinensis make a good 

 effect on a river bank Then the ferns ! Never 

 were ferns grown under such perfect conditions, 

 nor arranged more conveniently for the visitor. 

 Put J must leave the description of them to others 

 with more knowledge. 



If I may be permitted a criticism, I thought 

 in this and similarly favoured gardens the so- 

 called " moraine " is unnecessary and ugly. 

 Saxifrages can be done equally well in a wall, and 

 are more in keeping with their surroundings. 

 Of course I am not speaking of the rock-garden 

 proper, in which they are most suitable. Of these, 

 we visited in Ireland a most perfect specimen ! 

 It was so extensive and so beautifully designed 

 that one had a real feeling of being amongst the 

 mountains. The plants seem to feel it too, for 

 they grow and spread themselves in a most 

 natural way. 



I cannot close an article on Irish gardens 

 without referring to Mr. T. Smith's nurseries al 

 Newry, a visit to which alone would repay one 

 for crossing the channel. Eere one sees grown 

 under the happiest conditions trees, shrubs, and 

 plants from all quarters of the globe. Limestone 

 and peat plants were equally thriving and 

 floriferous. Why should everything flower so 

 much more freely in Ireland, than with us.' It 

 cannot he t ha,t there is more sunshine: il must 

 he the wonderful properties of the soil, which 

 also seems to imparl a, rich full colour to the 

 blossoms. II is difficult to say what is the 

 principal feature in s garden where everything is 

 so well represented; hut what interested us, 

 natives of a, limestone country most was Mr. 

 Smith's immense collection of Rose species. 

 Scotch briars, and old English garden looses. 



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ANAGAIXIS GRANDIFLOB \. 



Tuts beaut iful annual is seldom seen, and it simply 

 revelled in the August sunshine, making the best 

 hit of blue on the border. Imagine a large Pirn 

 pernel growing six Inches high covered with a 



ma,ss of lovely, large gentian-blue flowers and 



yon get a good idea, of t his sun-loving annual. 



Sweet Peas for Everyone. 



By JAMES Ctjssen, late of Manor House Gardens, 

 Haheny. 



The failure of the average person who has no' 

 been successful with Sweet Pea during this 

 season can in many cases he traced to the late 

 spring sowing. I have seen hundreds of failures 

 in the County Dublin, and especially around 

 Raheny, while my autumn-sown Sweet Pea is 

 just 12 feet in height, and has been blooming 

 since the end of May. and is t he envy of the parish 

 to-day. I have worked very hard to bring the 

 culture of this beautiful annual to a high standard 

 in this neighbourhood. My assistant, after two 

 years, training, has done wonders on the ex- 

 hibition table, and captured the I'nwin medal at 

 Terenure. His flowers stood alone, they were a, 

 long way in advance of any of the rest in his 

 class. 



Two years ago he did not know what a 

 waved Sweet Pea was. It is my sincere wish to 

 see thousands like him at work next season. The 

 first step on the road to success is to procure the 

 varieties which have proved their value during 

 1 his season. I give twelve, which I think are the 

 best twelve for the average man. in their order of 

 merit: — Hercules, R. F. Pelton, Nubian. Mrs. 

 ( 'ut hhertson, Paradise Carmine, Marks Tey. 

 White Queen, Edna I'nwin, Mrs. Breadmore, 

 Sunproof Crimson, Hobbies Cream, and Prime 

 George. Get these twelve, for they are within the 

 reach of all); place your order with your seedsman 

 at once, so as to have them by the end of 

 September. 



Prepare a small frame, and place in it one 

 foot of ashes to plunge the pots up to their 

 rims. Chip all the seeds before sowing, put four 

 seeds in each 4-inch pot with a pinch of sand 

 around each seed, which should be covered half 

 an inch deep. After a U-w traps have been set for 

 mice the frame should he kept close until all the 

 seed has germinated Then throw off the lights 

 altogether, keeping the frame always open, 

 except during heavy rain and frosts. 



Tiie best time to sow is from the end of 

 September to the end of October. During 

 October open the trenches '■> feet deep and 2.' feet 



wide, break the bottom up well with a hack. 

 ret urn t he soil for about one foot . t hen put in t he 

 manure and soil, mixing both together for 

 another foot, then put in the top spit, using 

 plent y of soot or lime. 



My Sweet Peas treated in the above way have 

 given flowers of the finest colour and size, with 

 stems which average 20 to 2 1 inches long, and 

 man\ carrying 8 blooms, none with less than 

 I blooms. 



I leave four shoots to each plant, keeping 



all the lest Pubbed out : I hoe the trenches 

 twice : and as I give no feeding, or even water- 

 ing, I claim all the advantage for the deep 



i penciling. 



No disease of any kind attacked my plants, 

 which will remain in flower up to November if the 

 weather is not too unkind. Stakes are much tin 

 best kind of support on which to grow Sweet Pea. 



Wire, though more lasting, is cold in spring and 

 too hot in summer. 



Wishing every success to all my readers and 

 more competition from the average man at our 

 shows during 191 I • 



