34 



IIMSII (.AKDKMNCi 



Liirli or uak. li;iviii^' had iln- l»arU ri-iiiovrd fur 

 at least 2 iwX. aiul tliut lu.rtiim well cdatt'd 

 with a picsiTvativi' (tarholineum is ahout the 

 best) sliDuld l)e lirmly lixed in tlic ^M-oimd. 

 Should oirasion arise where mie is unahle to 

 procure stout larel» or oak for pillars, oiu- ean 

 ]»lace the thiinier ])ieees. altern.Uely in twos 

 and threes, the former side !»> side, tiie latter in 

 a trian»:le. each al)out one foot ajjarl. and the 

 eross-])ieees on to]) the same ; tlie i-lTeet of tliis 

 is gootl. 



iiriek and -tone i)illar- l.ra<(.l toLrttlicr wiili 

 oak orehestnut i'ross.])iices make tine peijioias. 

 l)ut it is dilheult to find tlie house and <iarden 

 to suit this elass, to say nothinj: of the eost of 

 same, which is heavy; at least tiiis is my ex- 

 perience in Ireland. 



There is one thinjjj in connection with the 

 construction of jjcrgolas with whicli I would 

 liave nothing to do. and that is any form of 

 wire or metal used as either cross-pieces oi- 

 ])illars. for oJie never gi'ts what I consider a 

 pro]H'r result from anything ])lanted on them. 

 The following clindjcrs 1 Hnd do well on most 

 ])crgolas — viz.. Ro.ses, say Climbing Caroline 

 Testout, Capt. Haywarch and any of this 

 class, most of the robust Wichuriana variety. 

 the Moschata (Brunonis). Mosehata grandiHora. 

 both very fragrant, Cramoisie Climbing (dec]) 

 crimson). I'na (wiiite). and many others, all 

 do well. Clematis. — A very useful adjunct, 

 giving bloom as they do at different jjcriods of 

 the late sjiring. summer and autumn. Cl<>matis 

 ccerulea odorata (a special fav Mirite of mine. 

 though, curiously enough, rarely found in 

 gardens) being one of the best summer bloomers, 

 blue, small flowers, very fragrant, and a good 

 grower. For the beginning or end pillars of 

 a pergola, one might try ])lanting a standard 

 Laburnum on each side, training the branches 

 over the centre: the blooms will then hang down, 

 the effect resembling the growth of Wistaria. Jt 

 standard trees of "'Laburnum autumnah's "" 

 can be procured, l)loom in botli spring and 

 autumn is assured. 



One cannot well on a large pergola leave out 

 Polygonum Baldschuanicum, the effect in full 

 bloom being very fine, especially if plajitcd ai 

 either end. Then one has Passion Howers, 

 Abutilons, Forsythias. Honeysuckles of various 

 lovely colours, and all ver}- fragrant (esjiecially 

 L. gigantea sup^rba, with its long terminal 

 panicles of yellow flowers), Solanum erispum 

 and Jasminoides: with this latter I always 

 plant Clematis jackmanii, thus getting purple 

 and white bloom at same tiine. The Jessamines 

 and Clianthus (for stone pillars). 



r»Iuehlenbeckias. — The man\' lovely autumn 

 coloured vines. Wistarias. — About the most 



dilheult subject to deal with, owing to tlic very 

 long tinu- one must wait before any great move 

 towards spn-ading and (lowering takes place. 

 There is nothing nion- lovely than a well-grown 

 Wistaria elind)ing over arch or i»crgol.i. but any 

 1 e\er saw growing wi-ll wer" plants of a good 

 age. 



Tlu-ie are other good ejiudters I could mention 

 should space j)ermit. and will now close these 

 notes by saying that the great object to hav«' 

 in view when jdanting a pergola is to select 

 c|ind)crs which will L'ivc you blottm or distinct 

 colour of foliage. &c.. during as nuuiy months 

 of the yeai- as possible. 



.Ml plants on a ]H'rgola re(juire a certain 

 amoimt of attention, especially the Roses, from 

 which tlie old wood should at times l)e removed. 

 C|emati< I iar«-l\ touch, e.xcepi to cut away 



dca.l w I. \-c. 



I!i< u.xKi) .M-.M. Smmu. F.K.H.S. 



Mount llciirv. Dalkev. Co. Dublin. 



Gladioli. 



Tjil: iinmciisc strid.cs made in ilic production of 

 new and iin))roved varieties have made the 

 Gladiolus one of tlu^ most ]K)pular flowers of late 

 summer and autunni. The colours are now so 

 varied and beautiful aiul the shajx* of the flower 

 so nnieh improved that it is indeed hard to 

 conceive any flower more beautiful or more 

 useful for gardens of all si'/e-;. The ease, too, 

 with which the Cdadiolus can lie grown renders 

 it ]-cmarkably suitable for the amateur and 

 owner of a small garden who has to do his own 

 gardeniiig in his spare time. Varieties are now 

 legion, all of them channing, so that practically 

 every individual taste can be satisfied.. 



While conscious of the fine effect of large 

 plantings of one coloui in oui- larger gardens 

 and ])ublic ])arks, it is uonc the less desirable 

 to emphasise the value of two or three corms 

 of different varieties to the small grower who 

 wishes to enjoy as much variety as possible, 

 and has to grow other things as well as Cladioli. 

 This is just where the Gladiolus ])roves its value, 

 for it flourishes perfectly ])lanted among hardy 

 herbaceous or annual flowers in Rose beds or 

 among Pa?onies, as shown in the illustration, 

 and also among dwarf shrubs. 



T].-\iE TO Pl.\nt. — It is quite time enough to 

 plant the corms towards the end of March and 

 early in April. Very little advantage, if any, is 

 gained by planting earlier, but actual harm jnay 

 result from the cold and often wet soil destroying 

 the 3'oung roots as they jnish forth from the 

 base of the corm. By the end of the month the 

 soil is usually drier and warmer, and growth 



