114 



IRISH GARDENING. 



^^°^0 ^yJ in. M. I'oUurk 



Elisena longipbtala at Glasxevix. 



leaves are broad and dark green in colour, well 

 developed at flowering time, which is early 

 July. H. pratense, a native of Chili, flowers 

 in May and June, and is one of the most strik- 

 ing plants in the garden at that time. The 

 flowers are a brilliant scarlet, the umbels being 

 carried on stout stalks a foot or flfteen inches 

 high; they appear in late May and early 

 June. Hymenocallis is a genus allied to Pan- 

 cratium, and there is cjfuite a number of purely 

 indoor species of great beauty. Two, however, 

 are nearly hardy, and are worth trying under 

 the conditions alluded to; these are H. Aman- 

 cses and H. IMacleana, bqth from Chili and 

 Peru. The former has large umbels of brig] it 

 yellow flowers, , the segments narrow and 

 widely spread, while the latter has nearly white 

 flowers fewer in the umbel, and broad, deep 

 green leaves. A third species, H. calathina, is 

 sometimes planted out in spring and lifted in 

 autumn, being less hardy; it has fragrant wliitt 

 flowers marked with green. 



Elisena longipetala is. a striking and liand- 

 ■pome plant, flowering freely every year in a 

 narrow border adjacent to the Palm House at 

 Glasnevin. The i)osition is far from sheltered, 

 being exposed to the east wind; nevertheless, 

 tlie plant flourishes. The long, handsome 



leaves are surmounted in -Inly by stout flowei 

 stalks some 3 ft. high, eacli carrying an umbel 

 of six or more flowers. The flowers are white, 

 with spreading segments, the crown or cup 

 being curiously flattened. The Crinums are 

 striking plants, of which some Ave or six 

 species and varieties are fairly hardy, while 

 there are also many beautiful indoor kinds. 



Of the hardy kinds none are better known 

 than C. Moorei and C Powellii, while the 

 hardiest of all is C. capense, commonly called 

 C. longifolium. The Crinums are characterised 

 by their long, broad handsome leaves, some- 

 times of a glaucovis hue, and stout flower stalks 

 carrying umbels of flowers numbering often 

 from six to thirty, and opening in succession. 



C. capense is a handsome species with 

 white flowers, often tinged with red on the out- 

 side. There are several varieties or forms, the 

 best having large flowers and long, broad 

 glaucous leaves. C. Moorei from Natal is very 

 flne, with broad green leaves and umbels of 

 large white flowers faintly flushed \\'\i\\ ])ink. 

 There is also a pure white variety. C. Powellii 

 is a hybrid betw^een C longifolium and C. 

 Moorei, and bears umbels of pink flowers, while 

 of this there is also a white variety, and other 

 forms varying in shade of pink. 



Sprekelia formosissima, a native of ]\lexico 

 and Guatemala, is a handsome plant allied to 

 Amaryllis, and requiring a warm, sunny posi- 

 tion and \^•ell-drained loamy soil. The flowers 

 are large, of a fine crimson colour, borne on 

 stout stalks some 18 in. liigli. 



Chlidanthus fragrans is a showy little plant 

 from IS. America, producing fragrant yellow 

 flowers in July ; sandy soil and a sunny position 

 are necessary. 



Lycoris scjuamigei'a froui Japan has rosy 

 lilac flowers in umbels, and long strap-shaped 

 leaves. 



The genus Zephyranthes contains many 

 lovely species, three or four of which are hardy 

 in shelter. They are characterised by their 

 narrow leaves, and the flowers produced singly 

 on stalks 6 in. to a foot high; the best for out- 

 door culture are Z. Atamasco, white; Z. Can- 

 dida, w'liite ; Z. carinata, pink ; and Z. rosea, 

 rose pink. 



Bomarea salsilla, native of S. America, is a 

 twiner suitable for planting at the base of a 

 sunny wall, where it can make its way up 

 among the branches of some W'all shrub. The 

 flowers, resembling Alstroemeria in shape, are 

 light purple in colour, the segments tinged 

 with green. 



The main point to observe in planting all 

 the foregoing plants is to plant deeply, so that 

 the bulbs may, as far as possible, escape frost. 



