IRISH GARDENING. 



103 



Genista tinctoria appenina is a free flowering 

 prostrate form with the flowering shoots some- 

 what ascending and densely furnished with 

 bright yeflow flowers ; the form known as 

 G. tinctoria mantica is looser in habit, and has 

 the young shoots of a purple colour. Both are 

 suitable foi' the rock garden. Genista virgata, 

 the Madeira Broom, is of upright habit, and 

 forms a large bush up to 10 or 12 feet in height : 

 leaves narrow and silky below, flowers in short 

 racemes, rich bright yellow in colour. This is 

 an excellent shrub for ]->lanting in thin wood- 

 lands. 



Cytisus nigricans, with tiifoliato leaves and 

 long racemes of bright yellow flowers, is an 

 attractive shrub in June. Other shrubs of the 

 Pea fauiily flowering in June are Petteria 

 ramentacea, with Laburnum-like leaves and 

 short spikes of yellow flowers ; Colutea cilicica, 

 with unequally pinnate leaves and rich yellow 

 flowers in clu.sters of 2-5 ; Hedysarum multiu- 

 gum, with long pinnate leaves and slender 

 spikes of rosy jiurple flowers, is quite attractive. 

 The tree Lupins are useful shrubs in poor soil, 

 flowering freely and persisting longer than in 

 rich ground. The typical form has yellow 

 flowers, and there is also a pure white variety, as 

 well as varieties with blue and white flowers, and 

 various other shades. Old plants of Lupinu.s 

 arboreus are apt to die oft' in winter, especially 

 if grown in rich soil, and it is well to propagate 

 a few young plants occasionally by cuttings of 

 short side shoots taken in July. 8eedHngs of 

 the yellow and white varieties usually come true. 



In succession to the earlier flowering Clemati.ses 

 there are several forming a succession in June. 

 Clematis montana Wilsoni is the latest of the 

 montanas, and flowers from June onwards, 

 producing its four-sepalled white flowers freely ; 

 somewhat similar is C. Spooneri, also with 

 four-sepalled white flowers and leaflets, lobed 

 and occasionally toothed ; C. Fargesii has six- 

 sepalled white flowers and sharply toothed 

 leaves ; C. carunculosa has pendent yellow 

 flowers, almost double, and leaflets variously 

 toothed and cut ; C. Ville de Lyon, a garden 

 hj'brid of the Jackmanii type, has attractive 

 flowers of a deep wine red ; while C. viticella 

 rubra, with dark brown jourple flowers, is not 

 bj^ any means briUiant, but adds variety : it 

 was raised from seeds sent here from Bulgaria. 



Magnolia parviflora has been glorious on a 

 shady wall, having cpiite a number of its flowers 

 open at one time. The pure glistening white 

 petals are beautifidly set off by the central boss 

 of crimson stamens ; the flowers are delicately 

 perfumed. Other shrubs which are flowering 



now are Rhododendron micranthum, with 

 clusters of small white flowers lesembling a 

 Ledum, and Daphne oleoides with glaucous 

 leaves and clusters of white flowers. 



Alpine and bog plants have continued to make 

 a good show. The many species and garden 

 varieties of Pinks (Dianthus) have been very gay, 

 also large masses of Campanula portenschlagiana 

 in various varieties. In boggy places Roscoea 

 cautlioides is bearing many of its bright yellow 

 flowers, and Cypripedinm spectabile has borne 

 many of its pink and white '" slippers," and 

 seems happy, though overgrown about the 

 roots with a uiass of Priuiula cortusoides, now 

 out of flower. 



In the herbaceous borders, Heucheras, 

 Delphiniums, Anchusas, Violas, Pinks, Lupins, 

 Oriental Poppies, &c., have made a brave show, 

 though somewhat dwarfed by the long drought. 



J. W. B., Glasnevin.. 

 Meconopsis Prattii. 



This beautiful new Chinese species has much the 

 appearance of M. racemosa, but is perhaps more 

 robust than the plant we have, up to now, lieen 

 growing as M. racemosa. The flower scajies arc 

 from 2-3 feet high, bearing many handsome 

 flowers of a deep blue, though on some plants 

 they show a tinge of purple. The basal leaves 

 are up to I foot long, tapering to both ends, and 

 about H inches across at the widest part, which 

 is more than half-way from the base. The lower 

 flowers are borne on long pedicels, those higher 

 up on the scape being shorter. Leaves, stems, 

 calyces and pedicels are all furnished with stitt" 

 yellowish hairs. Anthers white. 



Meconopsis nepalensis var. elata. 



This is a handsome plant growing from 3-4 feet 

 in height and bearing a fine pyramidal inflores- 

 cence of largv^ clear yellow flowers. 8ome 

 individual flowers were as much as 3i inches 

 across on the strongest plants ; the petals, too, 

 are of great substance, much thicker in texture 

 than those of M. paniculata growing near by. 

 The basal leaves, up to 15 inches long, are deeply 

 lobed and furnished on both surfaces with a 

 minute yellowish down interspersed with long 

 soft hairs ; the leaves in consequence have a 

 greyish appearance in general distinct from the 

 tawny yellow of M. paniculata. Anthers, deep 

 orange. Both this and the above-mentioned 

 species flourish in moist porous peat among 

 Rhododendrons, and make a pretty feature, 

 flowerins; in June. B. 



