IRISH GARDENING. 



87 



few, but increase tJie number of \ai'ieties. 

 Amon^ tho best known is D. Meudia, a pale 

 pink N. American speeies, of which there is a 

 beautiful pure white variety, both grow from 

 15 in. to 18 in. high, when in flower; D. Jeffrey! 

 is a giant, pushing up its flower scapes two 

 feet or more, bearing numerous rose-coloured 

 flowers; it is sometimes reckoned a variety of 

 1). Meadia, but horticulturally is very dis- 

 tinct; D. alpinum has been made a variety of 

 l)oth D. j\Ieadia and J). Jeffreyi, but is much 

 smaller in stature than either; it is a delightful 

 little plant, with deep rose-coloured flowers. 

 Others are D. integrifolium and D. radicatum, 

 both wath rose or deep pink flowers, forming 

 lovely clumps in moist places about the rock 

 garden. 



Asphodels, white and yellow; Camassias, 

 blue; and Erenuu'i, white and pink, are now 

 effective with their handsome spikes spearing 

 up amid other plants just developing their 

 leaves. 



Irises are now a host in themselves, and with 

 the help of Mr. Dykes' books, popular and 

 scientific, there should be no difficulty in having 

 a representative collection wherever there is 

 space to grow them. At present, the " Inter- 

 mediates " and the various forms of I. ger- 

 manica are making a fine show, but most 

 wonderful of all have been the Regelio-cyclus 

 hybrids which rejoice in the hottest corner of 

 the garden, sheltered from the north by a high 

 wall and from the east by a thick hedge. Not 

 every variety by any means has been a per- 

 manent success, but sufficient have succeeded 

 for several years to encourage the belief that 

 with care we might enjoy the weird and won- 

 derful colours of this remarkable group of 

 Irises. Alas, since the outbreak of war, it 'has 

 been impossible to attend ta lifting and re- 

 planting, and some losses have occurred. These 

 Regelia-cyclus hybrids are easier to manage 

 than their parents, of which I. susiana, repre- 

 senting the Oncocyclus group, is the only species 

 which succeeds here, and of the Regelia group, 

 I. Korolkowi is one of the best doers, but yet 

 cannot be relied on. Of the hybrids, Hera, 

 bronzy red and blue; Hecate, lilac rose, brown 

 on a grey ground, and Ismene, white veined 

 Violet are typical, though numerous others, of 

 which the names are doubtful, flowered well. 



Among shrubs that have been striking, one 

 must mention Veronica canterbiu'yensis, with 

 pure white flowers, at once claiming attention. 

 There is hardly any shrub with flowers of a 

 purer white than this, but unfortunately here 

 at least the plant is a bad doer wherever 

 111 anted. Although not often killed outright in 

 winter, as some species are, it nevertheless 



always has a sickly look, due to the yellow 

 colour of the leaves ; perhaps there is some 

 soil difficulty, but the result is the same, 

 whether planted in sun or shade, in border or 

 rock garden. Veronica Lavaudiana is another 

 charming enigma, doing best here in shade, 

 but flourishing in other gardens in full sun. 

 When doing well it is a most delightful plant, 

 forming a low spreading mass, bearing corymbs 

 of white, pink-tinted flow^ers. Veronica Fair- 

 fieldii, said to be a hybrid between V. Lavau- 

 diana and V. Hulkeana, is rather more amen- 

 able to cultivation, and inherits the dwarier 

 habit of the former, with the spiked in- 

 florescence of the latter parent. The colour 

 of the flowers approximates that of V. Hulk- 

 eana, but the spikes are shorter. V. Hulk- 

 eana is perhaps the best known of the three, 

 and is a glorious plant when in full flower, the 

 colour being a pleasant shade pale lilac. It en- 

 joys a sunny sheltered position, but after a 

 few years gets " leggy," and sometimes dies 

 off suddenly. Nevertheless, it is a plant well 

 worth keeping a stock of. Cuttings root well, 

 and seeds are sometimes produced in favour- 

 able seasons. 



Of Brooms that 'have flowered since May 

 came in Cytisus glabrescens deserves mention. 

 Dwarf in habit, forming a compact low bush, 

 it is decidedly attractive when covered with 

 its clear yellow flowers. Cytisus monspessul- 

 anus is less hardy here, but flourishes when 

 allowed to grow freely against a wall, only being 

 pruned sufficiently to prevent it overgrowing 

 neighbouring plants. On the south side of 

 Dublin, and towards Kingstown and Bray, I 

 recently saw great bushes of it flowering in the 

 open as freely as the Gorse by the M'ayside. 

 Cytisus Dallimorei, in many ways the most 

 remarkable of all Brooms, is now covered with 

 its rosy-pink and crimson flowers, truly a 

 beautiful shrub which should be nianted freely. 



The purple Broom C. purpureus, and its 

 beautiful white variety, are likewise flowering 

 freely now, and make a pleasant show on the 

 rockery, where, being dwarf, they are suitably 

 placed. 



R'hododendrons continue to give a good 

 account of themselves — notably Eh. Loderi 

 Patience, a notable hybrid with immense 

 trusses of large white flowers, suffused pink ; 

 Rh. Loder's White bears compact trusses of 

 white flowers, though the buds show a deep 

 pink shade; Rh. Fortune! has been attractive, 

 bearing blush white fragrant flowers, while 

 flowering a little later we had the closely allied 

 Rh. decorum. 



Rosa Willmottige flowered early in the month, 

 bearing rose -pink flowers of a rather was'hy 



