IRISH GARDENING 



VOLUME XI 



No. 12^ 



Editor-J- W. Besant. 



A MONTHLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE 



ADVANCEMENT OF HORTICULTURE AND 



ARBORICULTURE IN IRELAND 



JUNE 

 1916 



Dwarf Violas for the Rockery* 



Bv •' Gardejter.' 



The florists' varieties of Violas are very well 

 knowii to gardeners, and rightly occupy a 

 prominent place in the flower garden. The 

 tiny Alpine species, however, are not so gener- 

 ally cultivated even where collections of Alpines 

 are grown and appreciated. Of late years 

 Violas h.ave received more attention, especially 

 since Viola gracilis liccaiiK' more plentiful. 

 The cuhiva- 

 tion of Alpine 

 \'iolas is not 

 difficult gener- 

 ally, though 

 some few of 

 t h e m a r e 

 ■■ miffy "' and 

 some are not 

 good perenni- 

 als, and re- 

 quire to be 

 p r o p a g a t e d 

 from seed or 

 cuttings annu- 

 ally. Of such 

 is V. gracilis, 

 alluded to 



al)ove. which 

 has a h-il)it of 

 dying off after 

 flowering. Any 

 which have a 

 tendency to do 

 this might be 

 cut over before 

 the flowers 

 have all faded, 

 and kept moist 



to induce the production of young shoots suit- 

 able for takhig as cuttings. Viola arenaria rosea 

 makes a pretty mound of leaves surmounted 

 by rosy flowers, and grows well in a moist position , 

 doing well from year to year. 



Viola bosniaca is possibly one of the most 

 popular of all with lovers of Alpines, and grows 

 freely in gritty soil, in some gardens seeding 

 freely about the paths. The typical plant has 

 rose-pink or old rose-coloured flowers, and is 



Viola i;o.sma( 



one of the lovliest plants of. the rock garden in 

 its season. Like most plants which become 

 popular it has been raised in quantity from 

 seeds, and there are several varieties, though 

 rot all are of the neat habit of the type. Prob- 

 ably w^hen cultivated it hybridises with other 

 species and loses some of the characteristics of 

 the ty])c. y. bosniaca Alaunah is a purj)lish 



blue form, of 

 coar.--er growth 

 but quite effec- 

 tive Avhen seen 

 in a mass. One 

 or two hybrids 

 have appeared 

 in gardens, but 

 so far as I know 

 have not been 

 named, 



V. calcarata, 

 commonly re- 

 ferred to as 

 the Pansy of 

 the Alps, is a 

 pretty species, 

 with usually 

 violet - purple 

 flowers, though 

 a white variety 

 is also known 

 and a yellow 

 is sometimes 

 referred to. 



V. cenisia is 

 a little gem, 

 not always 

 easy to keep. 

 Morain.e treatment would probably offer the 

 best chance of success. The flowers are violet- 

 blue, and the plant is said to be a lime-lover. 



V. cornuta is j)retty well known, and is a 

 useful species of considerable beauty. It is a 

 plant of tufted habit, cairying an enormous 

 number of flowers through spring and summer ; 

 the flowers are blue, and form a fine bit of 

 colour on the rockery. A white variety is 

 grown which has rather smaller flowers than 



The Bush. A. 



