IRISH GARDENING 



of the i^rostrate Gromwell, as the Lithosper- 

 ininns are called, being broadly lance-.shaped and 

 somewhat hairy. The whole plant is only about 

 nine inches high when in tlower, lengthening to 

 a foot or so before all the flowers are over. 

 Reputed to be a lime-lover, Gaston's Gromwell 

 nourishes in moist peaty soil at the base of the 

 I•ock^\-ork, but probably gets enough lime, as 

 the staple soil of this district is of a hmy nature. 



Dublin. 



Primula rufa. 



Also one of Mr. Forrest's introductions, and 

 coming near to P. Forrestii, in fact it is diffi- 

 cult to believe that it is more than a variety. 

 One hopes, however, that it may prove a 

 better grower than that fickle species, which 

 still remains extremely difficult to establish. 

 P. rufa differs from P. Forrestii in the longer, 

 narrower leaves and possibly in the longer 

 Hower scape ; otherwise in the texture of the 

 leaves and colour of the flowers there is but 

 little difference. The collector, however, de- 

 scribes it as differing in habit, forming large 

 cushions several feet in diameter, while P. 

 Forrestii, if memory serves aright, was de- 

 scribed as forming a long woody rootstock 

 hanging down the face of limestone cliffs. 



Saxifraga diapensioides 



This is one of the prettiest of the Kabschia 

 section, forming tight little rosettes of tiny 

 grey leaves, from among which are produced 

 the fiowers, which are pure white, and three or 

 four together on fairly long stems. A native of 

 the Maritime Alx^s, Southern Switzerland, and 

 the South Tyrol, it requires very gritty, well- 

 drained soil, and succeeds best in a crevice 

 where it is j)rotected from the full blaze of the 

 sun. To get stock, it is best to grow one or 

 more plants in pots, dividing them up into 

 small pieces every year after flowering. If 

 lined out into shallow boxes of gritty soil, 

 Ihcy soon make nice tufts, and can then be 

 ])()tt('(l up or transferred directly to a fissuie 

 ill tlic rock garden.. 



Ammnist. 



Acer Pseudoplatanus Brilliantissima. 



This is a very beautiful variety of the common 

 Sycamore or Plane Tree, as it is called in Scot- 

 land. Its beauty lies in the lovely soft pink 

 coloiii- of the tender young leaves as they uu- 

 f()l(l in the spring. Towards the end of April 



and the first weeks of May it is an extremely 

 pretty object about the grounds, being im- 

 mediately noticeable among other trees and 

 shrubs, and looking jmrticularly well on a lawn 

 when the grass is assuming its first soft green 

 hue. An additional advantage lies in the fact 

 that it is of very slow growth, at least on light 

 soil, and thus may be planted in ])ositions 

 where a very large tree would be quite un- 

 suitable. As the leaves expand to their full 

 development they assume the normal green 

 colour of the type and still remain interesting. 



Arbor. 



Helicodiceros crinita. 



This extraordinary Aroid has fiowered here 

 lately, and, although not a plant one woidd 

 recommend for general planting, it is neverthe- 

 less not without interest to some. Even subur- 

 ban villa gardeners occasionally get hold of a 

 root and are not a little astonished and pleased 

 when the handsome divided leaves and mottled 

 stem arise, surmounted soon by the huge dark 

 brown flower spatlie, which is covered with 

 hairs on the inside. Ihe true floweis are boine 

 on the spadix which aiises from the base of the 

 spathe, just as in the case of the better known 

 ■ Arum Lily." 



The root is tuberous and, if to be cultivated 

 out of doors, should be planted close under a 

 wall, since being a native of Corsica the plant 

 is not absolutely hardy. It may also be culti- 

 vated in a pot, withholding water when the 

 leaves have died down. 



J. W. P. 



The Romanzoffias. 



These are pretty little North-American plants 

 flourishing in damp half-shady positions in the 

 rock garden. Tliey belong to the natural order 

 Hydrophylleaj, to which also belongs tliat most 

 beautiful of blue-flowered annuals, Phacelia 

 campanularia. 



The best known species is R. sitchensis. native 

 of the Sitka Islands, and popularly known as the 

 Sitka Water-leaf. It is a low-growing, somewhat 

 spreading, ])lant with long-stalked, rather 

 kidney-sluiped leaves and pretty white flowers. 

 P». Suksdorffii is the smallest species with short 

 stalked leaves and racemes of white flowers. 

 J^. imalaschensis comes from the Aleutian 

 Islands off the coast of Alaska. It is a strong 

 grower, the leaves larger than in the other two 

 species and carried more (Mcct. In this case, 

 too, the flowers are white. All three should be 

 raised frc(iuently from seeds which aic ))i()duced 

 fairlv f reel v. 



