150 



llU^Sll (iAKDEMXG. 



or stream an ample clunip is most efTeetive. and 

 even when the steins are leatles< in winter tl)ey 

 still remain etTeeti\-e in tlieir warm iiuUly brown 

 eolonr. In these tlays, when ontdoor <fardeiiiiiu 

 has beeome so ])opnlar, vvvry attentioti is meiitel 

 l>y plants whicli can olTer some atli-action o\cr 

 as jonLr a pciin I ;\s possible. 



Knotw i:i:i). 



Rheum palmatuni tanguticum. 



To those who like stately plants, bnt which are 

 not qnite snitable for ordinary border decoration, 

 1 can heartily recommend this handsome 

 ■ Rhnbarl)."" The deeply cut five-lobed lea\cs 

 are large and ban ls()m(\ when the jjlant is 

 growing strongly, covering a considerable area. 

 The tall tlower-spikes ])ushing up among the 

 leaves attain a height of (5 feet or more ; while 

 bearing its spikes of creamy w^hite flowers, the 

 plant is very striking, bnt more so when these 

 are succeeded in autumn by red frnits. An 

 isolated position in deep moist soil is best, and 

 in such a jmsition the highest pitch of develop- 

 ment may be expected. B. 



i^thionema cordatum. 



Tins s]),-i-ics is iini(|iic in tlic colour of its 

 iiowcrs, wiiich arc of a soft yellow, most of 

 tlM> oilier species, with the e.\ce])ti()n of \. 

 iliciiilciiiii. lieiiig piid< in various shades. 



The specie^ in (|iicslion is fi'ce-flow'ei'ing and 

 (piite liir<l\ in a sunny p.isition in gritty s<»il, 

 but is r.illici' Idose and ragged in habit "if left 

 to gcow nil in- lily. Seeds are freely ])rodueed, 

 and lorin the readiest means of ])ro])ag ition. 

 Ripening in sununer, they should be sown at 

 once w'Jien gathered, and will be ready for 

 handling a few weeks aflei. They shoukl be 

 ])ri(ked out singly in sniill ■"thumb" pots, 

 and w'hen a couple of inches high remove the 

 l).iint of the shoot. Tliis will induce the for- 

 mation of scN'cr.il br.mches which, when tWo 

 oi three inches long, should be pinched again, 

 and the result will be nice busliy little plaiits 

 by the end of summer. Planted in autumn or 

 spring, e.ach shoot will then produce a nice 

 corymb of flowers, and if planted among the 

 pink -flowered specie ■; a very pretty effect is 

 obtained. Gardener. 



Double White Rockets. 



In a previous issue of Irish Gardening allusion 

 was made to the beauty and value of the double 

 Rockets. For the herbaceous border they are 

 extremely valuable not alone for their handsome 

 spikes of white or purple flowers, but also for 

 their fragrance. In the i)resent issue is shown a 

 group in a border, and it will do more to convince 

 readers than any amount of Avriting. Plants 

 w'hich were divided up after flowering have now 

 made good growth, promising well for next year. 

 If after flowering the plants were transferred to 

 the reserve garden to make room for annuals 

 they may now be returned to the borders, as 

 most annuals have had their day, and may be 

 pulled up and replaced with Rockets and other 

 spring and early summer flowers, including bulbs 

 in variety. Thus the borders are kept constantly 

 full and by cultivation always rich and capable of 

 supporting a large number of plants. 



Notes on Shrubs at Rostrevor House. 



In our last issue we nnfortunately omitted to 

 state that the above article was from the pen of 

 Sir John Ross of Bladensburg, K.C.B., K.C.V.O., 

 to whom we are much indebted for so freely 

 contributing his experiences in acclimatising so 

 many rare and beautiful shrubs. — Ed. I. G. 



Potentilla fruiticosa Veitchii** 



This seems now to be considered the correct 

 nime of the plant put into commerce some 

 years ago by the late firm of James Veitch & 

 Son, and to whose energetic collector, Mr. 

 Wilson, now of the Arnold Arboretum, we owe 

 its introduction. Presumably all the white 

 forms are now included under P. fruticosa 

 Veitchii exeejit P. f . leucantha, since Mr. W. J. 

 Bean, in " Trees and Shrubs, British Isles," 

 does not mention any others. 



There is, however, some variation among 

 them, and one particularly handsome form 

 Was collected by Mr. W. Purdom, now of the 

 Chinese Forestry Service, under No. 819. 

 This form is always the first to flower, com- 

 mencing early in May and continuing well into 

 summer. The pure white flowers are large and 

 very freely jiroduced, and the bush at present 

 (May 22nd) is very showy, while within a few 

 yards of it another of Mr. Purdom's plants 

 (No. 396) is only half in leaf and furnished with 

 imopened buds. Elsewhere about the grounds 

 older bushes of P. Veitchii, P. f. alba, and P. f. 

 mandschurica are only ojDening a few flowers, 

 so that Mr. Purdom's No. 819 is distinctly 

 earlier than any of the others, and has been 

 consistentlv so for the years it has been grown 

 here. ' J. W. B. 



See illustration in July number. 



