IRISH GARDENING. 



115 



tliey would ill bear the exposure to high winds 

 that the Heaths are mostly quite equal to. 



Tliough this bed attains its fullest beauty 

 in summer and autumn, it is wonderfully at- 

 tractive throughout the year, and I find some 

 of the most precious small bulbs enjoy the 

 sheltered spots betMcen the dwarf bushes. 

 There the charming little Crocus Tomma- 

 sianus flowered beautifully this spring, close 

 to E. camea, and its foliage is so light that 

 once out of bloom one is not aware of its pre- 



I hope, as time goes on, to add one or two 

 more varieties of Heaths. First of all I would 

 have E. mediterranean alba, which would come 

 in well before E. camea and E. Med. hybrida 

 were out, and grows into a nice upright, com- 

 X>act bush ; then, doubtfully and anxiously, 

 in the most sheltered comer, I would j)lace E. 

 Veitchii. I have never seen it in flower, but it 

 is said to be hardier than either of its parents — 

 lusitanica and arborea — and " to possess the 

 best qualities of both." H. S. W. 



I'hr.'obll] 



P.t:oxia t.ohata in ]'>otanic Gaijdkxs, Camhhiix 



[F. G. Pi-ecton 



fcncc,the great drawback to many of the larger 

 sorts being the l)rown feeding " grass." 



In the rough, irregular stone edging a few 

 Fenis look well. The common Poh-pody and 

 Black Splecnwort do nicely, luit all soft luxuri- 

 ous green seems out of place and have been 

 removed. One rather precious little shrub I 

 have omitted. Rhododendron hirsutum. It 

 comes in where the Heath bed is winding round 

 into another part of the rock garden, and hero 

 also is a new treasure which in May this year 

 was glorious for about a fortnight, a tiny foot- 

 high bush of pink Azalea mollis, whose foliage, 

 as the season advances, \\ill be almost as valu- 

 able as its flower. 



Paeonia officinalis lobata. 



This is an exceedingly beautiful hardy plant, 

 and quite one of the best of the M'hole genus, 

 but it must be somewhat rare, as it is so seldom 

 seen, even in gardens of botanical interest. The 

 colour is very pleasing and distinct, perhaps best 

 described as glowing orange-scarlet, or in the 

 deepest parts tomato-red. The plant is elegant 

 and compact, the beautiful cup-shaped flo\\ers 

 being borne on stiff stems above the fine 

 laciniated foliage, and is far .superior to many 

 otlicrs grown in gardens. 



It was first received into the country by 

 a .Air. Alexander Maclcay. in whose garden it 



