IRISH GARDENING. 



19 



Ja-'iliiinii III niidijliji mil . \n ukl and valued 

 tVifiul, iir\ff tailiiiy to give a show of tlowcrs 

 IVdui cjii-In wiiitrr to early s])i'ing, accordiiiy to 

 llic wfat lnT. Wli-u mild ilic [)laiit is covered 

 with its yclldW JjlussdUis wliieli, if frost occurs, 

 wilt, hut aic inmiediately replaced by a fresh 

 relay when rhe thaw comes. To get good 

 results a w all is best, except in mild localities, 

 and a t hiiHiin,^ out and a shorti'uiiiij; of the 

 hi'anchcs in spriiiL;' is hcin Icial. The phiut is 

 hardy in thf npen, but d(jes not usually flower 

 S') freely. A itative of China introduced by 

 Fortune. 



Pnniii^i HiihliirlcUa car. autuinnali^. — This 

 appears to \)v the latest tiame for a very beau- 

 tiful cliniy introduced to cultivation in this 

 couiUry h\ Mr. T. Smith, of the Daisy Hill 

 Kiu-series. At first know 11 as P. Miqueliana 

 and then as P. microlejjis, it has now, I be- 

 lieve, been described as above. 



In " Tri'es and Shrubs," Mr. Bean describes 

 it midcr the tianir of P. niicrole])is, hut which- 

 ever is tlic correct name there is no confusion 

 as to the merits of the plant. Commencing in 

 Becember the flowers continue to open right 

 on to March, and even April, and as the spring 

 advances becomes quite showy. Even in 

 Jamiary, despite variations between hard frost 

 and rain, the plant was easily noticeable in a 

 shrubbery. The flowers are semi-double, with 

 a faint tinge of pink, and in addition are sweetly 

 scented. A slow grower, and not apparently 

 ever attaining a large size, this should be a 

 useful ])l!int in a small garden. 



I'nmuH iJavidiaiia. — Another native of 

 Cliina, and an early flowerer. It grows fast in 

 good soil in a sunny position, making long 

 slender shoots f)n which the flowers begin to 

 open in January, but the best dis])lay is not 

 until sonic weeks later The flowers and buds 

 are more susceptible to frost than in any of 

 the above-mentioned ])lants, and an atnuial 

 display is not so certain. In tlie writer's ex- 

 perience, the half-opened buds if once frozen 

 rarely revive, and it would ])erhaps be well to 

 ])lant where the early sun would only gradu- 

 fill\ reach them. Shelter from the north and 

 C'ast by means of evergreens is an advantage, 

 and a light well-drained soil assists the ripen- 

 ing of the young wof)d. 'J'he typical plant has 

 white flowers, l)tit a variety called rubra has 

 rosy pink- blossoms, and is j)erhaps more showy 

 tlian the type. 



Ellen inciliirrtaiica . — The Alediterranean 

 ^leatli luLs been llowering since December, and 

 is a most welcome sight in the dark months. 

 Associated with Rhododendrons it is delightful 

 and is \aluable as a shelter to the dwarfer 



s[)ecies when young. There are numerous forms 

 of this Heath, some renuiining quite dwarf and 

 others growing erect, and reaching a height of 

 four or live feet. All are useful and effective, 

 l)ut the dwarfer f(jrms flower earliest, and it is 

 possible they are all reall> what used to Be 

 called E. medit. hybrida. This is the early 

 flowering hybrid between E. mediterranea and 

 E. carnea, and which should now^ be known as 

 E. darleyensis, which name was given by Mr. 

 Bean after tlie nursery at Darley Dale where 

 it first appeared. Although some plants seem 

 d(.!e})er in colour than others, this may be due 

 otdy to the position or soil in which they are 

 growing. 



Erica, carnea. — This delightful [)lant was not 

 so forward in January as the hybrid above- 

 mentioned, but the white variety, E. carnea 

 alba, was in full ilower. It, too, is charming 

 so early in the year, and looks very pretty in 

 association with dwarf Rhododendrons. It may 

 also be gi'own in the ordinary shrubbery, for it 

 is one of the few Ericas that will grow in 

 ordinary soil, and does not object to some lime. 



Rhododendron lapponicuni is a pretty little 

 ])lant for the rock g.arden. It has been openitig 



I'icKa I'.iriii.di; 

 In the .\i-l)oretuni, (Uasiievin. 



