IRISH GARDENING 



^35 



Dwarf Brooms for the Rock Garden. 



Few plants are more attractive during ]\Iay and 

 June than the dwarf Brooms, all of which are 

 excellent subjects for the rock garden, and many 

 such places are made more attractive, and 

 certainly more interesting, where some of them 

 are accommodated, and if space permits of them 

 to ramble about over the stones they present a 

 very charming effect. But where room for theiii 

 is limited, the wood that has flowered should be 



('. Beanii, a chance hybrid between C. Ardoinii 

 and possibly C purgans, from 6 to 18 inches high, 

 bearing during May long sprays of deep golden- 

 yellow flowers, and is quite one of the prettiest 

 of dwarf Brooms. 



C. decumbens, undoubtedly the most prostrate 

 of all Brooms, lying, as it does, on the ground, 

 is especially suitable for a sunlight spot in the 

 rock garden, when during May and June it is 

 ver}' gay with the rich bright yellow flowers. 

 A native of 8. Europe, from France to Albania 



MksKMUKVANTHEMUM ri!ASSlI,lNl'M 



In Ciiinhridse I'.otanie (lanlfus. 



cut back to an inch or so from that of the pre- 

 Aious year, particularly those of a rambling na- 

 ture. If this pruning is done with care it will in 

 no way affect their blooming the following year. 



There are a number of these decorative shrubs, 

 but the follo\\'ing are among the best : — 



Cytisus Ardoinii, a native of the maritime 

 Alps, but is said to be extremely rare in a wild 

 state, owing to animals grazing on it before seeds 

 have time to ripen. It was flrst discovered by 

 Ardoin in 1847, but lost sight of until 1866, when 

 it was fomid again by the Rev. W. Hawker — a. 

 beautiful little shrub quite hardy and free- 

 flowering, certainly one of the best for the rock 

 garden, and has been the seed parent of several 

 beautiful hvbrids. 



and Montenegro, said to have been introduced 

 in 1775, but now very rare in gardens. 



C. Kewensis, another beautiful hybrid be- 

 tween C. Ardoinii and C. albus, a low deciduous, 

 perfectly procumbent shrub, less than a foot 

 high, with creamy white flowers on long sprays 

 during May, and few dwarf shrubs are more 

 beautiful, especially where it can ramble over 

 stones or hang over a large boulder, where it 

 will form quite a cascade of flowers : really a 

 beautiful sight, and should be on all rock gardens. 



C. leucanthus, or better known as C. schi])- 

 krensis, a native of S. E. Europe, introduced in 

 1806, but lost sight of, and again introduced in 

 1890. A deciduous spreading shrub, from 

 4 to 10 inches high, with flowers of yellowish 



