154 



IRISH GARDENING 



select species required for any particular purpose. 

 We have iu thej first] place- the small creeping 

 species, of which the native JS. anglicum and 

 S. acre may stand as types. Thesejhave gener- 

 ally either yellow or white flowers, the white- 

 pctalled species, as in other groups of the genus. 

 having often pinkish flowers owing to the red 

 colour of the stamens and ovary. S. acre and 

 S. sexangulare are the leading yellows of this 

 section, l>ut forming mats which are a sheet of 

 bjight colour in July. While S. sexangulare has 

 linear leaves in six spiral crowded rows, the Leaves 

 of S. acre are fewer and triangular in shape, ha\ ing 

 a very broad base. 8. Maweanum, a rather shy 

 grower, resembles a large S. acre, and ha- charac- 

 teristic pale green foliage. 8. amplexicaule is a 

 liny plant which loses its leaves in summer, 

 presenting only a short thread-like stem terminat- 

 ing in a torpedo-shaped grey bud. S. multiceps 

 resembles several of the foregoing in leaf and 

 (lower, but grows like a tiny bush, vyith many 

 divergent branches. Of the whit and pink- 

 flowered Sedums of this section, s. album is very 

 common, with little fat, holster-shaped leaves 

 and a great abundance of flowers. The native 

 S. anglicum hi a smaller plant like the last, brightly 

 tinged with red in the foliage when starved or 

 exposed. 8. dasyphyllum is quite choice, with 

 tiny much swollen haves of a glaucous hue and 

 white (lowers. 8. Lydium is smaller still, wit. 

 bright green foliage, also with a ruddy tint when 

 exposed. 8. murale is a valuable plant, the 

 counterpart of 8. album, with striking purplish 

 foliage. 8. brevifolium is a gem, (he leaves 



being densely mealy and white, flecked with red. 

 giving it a i harming appearance. 8. coeruleum, 

 which from Leaf-characters may also be placed 

 here, is a Little annual species which is unique 



; »ng hardy Sedums for its pretty light blue 



flowers. Then there are two interesting species. 

 8. arboreiim and 8. Liebma n nian u m (if indeed 

 they are distinct from each other), which resemble 

 this group in leaf and flower, but form tiny 

 shrubs, with branching upright stems. 8. Greggii 

 is a dainty little plant, rather like the last two. 

 but smaller and with more spreading stems, 

 Another rather rare plant is 8. Oepsea, an annual 

 species sending up a quite tall much-branched 

 flower-stem, producing a loose pyramid of small 

 white flowers up to a foot in height. 



Next, conies a Large, confusing and familia 

 group, of which the common 8. rupestre and 

 8. reflexum will serve as examples. As in most 

 of the last section the Leafy steins roof .is 1he\ 



run, and tend to form Large patches. The Leaves 



are numerous anil narrow, mostly roundish in 

 section and pointed, the (lowers mostly yellow. 

 These are. on the whole, a rather poor weedy 

 lot, though some of them look well in flower. 

 'The well-known 8. rupestre is easily recognised 

 by its very curved Leaves, which cause the ends 

 of the shoots to lie almost finger-shaped. 'The 

 majority of the section, such as s. reflexum, 



8. alt issi ilium. 8. libericuin. and a lot for which 

 I cannot get names, have the Leaves more 

 scattered. To 8. reflexum belongs the extra- 

 ordinary looking cock's-comb Sedum (var- 

 ciistat urn ) which is a fasciate variety of thi^ 

 species. 8. himalayense and 8. stenopetalum 



have short erect, not sprawling, steins, and bear 



yellow flowers sparingly. 8. anopetalum is well 

 distinguished by its smaller size, rather upright 

 habit and greenish-white flowers. 



(To be continued.) 



Hints to Novices* 



By K. M. Pollock. 



The fruit picking is the most important work out 

 of doors this month, and all apples and pears 

 may now be put in store, choosing a dry day for 

 doing so. The keeping of these fruits during the 

 winter months very largely depends on the care 

 they get when being gathered and stored. They 

 should be hand-pulled, and put away dry on 

 shelves in a frost-proof shed or room. Straw on 

 the shelves is quite unnecessary, and only good, 

 sound fruit should be kept, as any specimens at 

 all damaged will decay rapidly. Keep a careful 

 watch on the fruit when stored, using the early 

 varieties as they ripen. 



The summer bedding will have to^be taken up. 

 and the beds prepared for spring. The Wall- 

 flowers, sown in the early summer, will be fit to go 

 into some of them. Bulbs for the beds, if not 

 already ordered, should be purchased at once. 

 Any tender plants such as faunas, Cacti, 

 Fuchsias. &c, can be stored under the staging 

 in a greenhouse, or in a spare corner of the green- 

 house, water being gradually withheld until they 

 are dried off. Begonias that were used in the 

 bedding-out may also be lifted and gradually 

 dried off. When dry they should be placed in 

 some spot where mice and rats will not attack 

 them. Dahlias will be the first to show signs of 

 frost, and when this has occurred, they too may 

 be lifted, but they should be left as loiig^as 

 possible, as they always make a bright show of 

 colour. 



All stakes, &c, should be carefully put away 

 for next year. Any ground not. immediately 

 occupied can lie dug over and left rough for the 

 winter months. Remove as much as possible of 

 I he old foliage, leaves. &c, from the garden, and 

 save all rubbish as recommended in .Inly issue. 



Fruit trees, flowering trees, and shrubs. 

 ornamental trees, roses, &c, may now be ordered 

 and planted as soon as they are delivered. If 

 time can be spared, holes for these various plants 

 may be opened, and everything Left ready to 

 plant wlnm they arrive. During the winter the 

 herbaceous border will look far less bare if tbje 

 old flower-stems are not cut down. The usual 

 thing is to go over the border as soon as the 

 autumn flowers are over, and cuf everything 

 down to within six inches of the ground, giving 

 (he borders a, skinned look. They can be quickly 

 cut over in flic spring when growth commences, 

 and t he effect of frost and su n . on a bright winter 

 morning, on the brown steins of .Michaelmas 

 Daisies is sometimes very beautiful. 



i>i [,bs in Bowls. These are very useful for 



t hose who have no greenhouse or means of keeping 



flowering stuff during the winter. Almost anj 



of t he hardy bulbs can be used, but t he most usual 



are Narcissi, Hyacinths, Tulips. Crocus, Scillas, 

 and Chionodoxas (Glory <>f the Snow). There 



^eems to be some question a,s 1o whether bulbs 

 so grow ii need be put in the dark for a lew weeks 



or not. Those who have time and space might 

 trj putting some in a bright sunny window, 

 and others in t hi' dark lor a short time, and note 

 i hi' results. Freesias in pots will soon be ready for 



Staking. This should be done before the foliage 

 gets tall and falls about and cracks, as it is then 



very difficult to tie up. 



Lily of 1 he Valley makes an ex eel I cuf pot plant , 

 and 'where heal is available it can be grown with 



