38 



IRISH GARDENING 



Laing, ]\Irs. E. G. Sliarman Cra\\foid, and 

 Hugh Dickson. 



Hybrid Teas, — Caroline Testout, George C. 

 Waud, J. B. Clark, Kaiserin, Augusta Victoria, 

 La France, Lyon Eose, Mrs. W. J. Grant, and 

 William Sliean. 



Teas. — Bridesmaid, ^Madame Constant Sou- 

 pert, Maman Cocbet, IMolly Sliarman Craw- 

 ford, [Mrs. Edward Mawley, The Bride, 

 Catherine JNIermet, and Comtesse de Nadaillac. 



D. ]McTxTosn. 

 Danum Gardens, Eathgar. 



February Flowers, 



The greater part of February was comparatively 

 mild, and consequently many plants oi:)ened 

 their flowers and made a brave show. Some 

 such as Prunus Davidiana are rarely seen in 

 such beauty, being as a rule nipped by frost. 

 In our Janviary notes we alluded to the buds 

 being on the point of opening, but it was not 

 until the first week in Febi-uary that the flowers 

 opened fully. The pink form, generally recog- 

 nised as the type, is delightful, but the pure 

 white variety is charming and more conspicuous 

 from a distance. 



Prunus dehiscens, one of j\Ir. Wilson's finds 

 in China, promises to be an interesting and at- 

 tractive plant. At present it is bearing numerous 

 large, pale pink flowers on the short twiggy 

 branches, and will probably become more flori- 

 ferous with age. Most of the plants at present 

 in gardens are quite young, but the growth does 

 not suggest that the plant will ever be more 

 than a shrub; even so, it will be an acquisition. 

 Prunus cerasif era atropurj^urea, the old and well 

 known purple plum, is still in the forefront of 

 early flowering small trees. Just at present 

 (18th February) it is a mass of blossom, and 

 equals in beauty any of the newer introductions. 

 The spring Ehododendrons have had a better 

 chance lately, and early in the month Ehodo- 

 dendron moupinense opened its big white bells. 

 This is a dwarf growing species from China ; 

 suitably placed on the rock garden where in 

 peaty soil and half shade it looks at home. E. 

 noble anum, an old hybrid of E. arboreum, has 

 been beautiful, with its trusses of rose pink 

 flowers, so often cut off by frost. 



Prunus amygdalus persicoides is worthy of 

 mention. The flowers are large, of a pale pink 

 shade, wreathing the shoots of last year's 

 growth. All these early flowering Prunuses are 

 more effective when seen against a dark back- 

 ground. 



Sarcococca humilis, an evergreen of recent 

 introduction from China, and perfectly hardy, 

 promises to be a most useful shrub in Lish 



gardens. Though growing quite well fully ex- 

 jjosed it flourishes in shade and in moist soil. 

 The shoots are densely clothed with narrow- 

 leaves, and iDroducing in February many clus- 

 ters of white flowers in the axils of the leaves. 

 The flowers are heavily scented, proclaiming 

 the presence of the plant even before it is seen. 

 During summer and autumn black beiTies are 

 produced. Cuttings strike readily almost any 

 time with or without heat, Cydonia japonica 

 in many varieties has been beautiful, and will 

 continue for some time ; this is a most useful 

 and accommodating shrub, flourishing best no 

 doubt in a sunny position, but also doing well 

 in comparative shade. It is equally suitable for 

 growing against a wall, or as a bush in the 

 open. No great amount of pruning is required, 

 but wall plants should have the weaker growths 

 spurred back in summer after the manner of 

 fruit trees. Some of the best varieties are 

 Knaphill, scarlet ; Nivalis, white ; Moerloesii, 

 pink and white, and Rosea. 



Cassandra calyculata, the Leather Leaf, is 

 an interesting member of the Heather family 

 which flowers through February, bearing 

 numerous small pendant white flowers. The 

 dwarf variety, nana, is better than the type, 

 forming a more compact bush. A specimen in 

 the bog garden at Glasnevin is not more than 

 18 inches to 2 feet high, though it has been 

 there many years. Many bulbous plants and 

 alpines have flowered freely during the past 

 month, Saxifrages being early in evidence. 

 Sax. burseriana major and S. b. magna made 

 a good show early in the month ; they are 

 planted in a granite moraine, and evidently like 

 it, as the " cushions " continue to increase in 

 size. S. apiculata Alberti is a precocious plant, 

 often opening a few flowers in December, and 

 from then intermittently until February, when 

 it generally flowers freely. It is soon followed 

 by S. apiculata alba, a very fine plant worthy 

 of planting freely. Others which have flowered 

 well lately are S. burseriana minor, S. Desou- 

 lavyi, and S. Salamoni. At the time of writing 

 S. Faldonside is opening its first flowers, and 

 promises to make a good show in a few days. 



Anemone blanda alba has been very pretty 

 under a small pine tree, and was accompanied 

 there by Eranthis cilicica and Crocus imperati 

 albidus, which ])uslied its way through a thick 

 mat of Antennaria dioica. Narcissus minor 

 minimus flowered early in the month, and 

 looked very dainty sheltered by a big stone, 

 while a week or so later the somewhat larger, 

 but equally welcome, N. minor opened in a 

 sunny border. About the same time a trumpet 

 variety of good shape and colour opened, and 

 was in full flower bv the middle of the month. 



