i68 



IRISH GARDENING. 



retain their colour long after the flowers liave 

 faded ; P. polystacliyuin is a herbaceous plant 

 about a- yard high, the stout stems bearing 

 ample leaves surniounted by clusters of puri> 

 white flowers, produced in abundance. 



Clematis akebioides is an interesting rambler 

 which loves to creep at v.'ill over shrubs, hedges 

 or rough fences, and in Octol)er l)ears aoTUidance 

 of yellow flowers. The leaves ai-e glaiicous and 

 the plant is most axtr'active ; the cori"ect noiue 

 appears to be C. glauca akebioides. Clematis 

 Rehderiana (C. Bitchaniana) is interesting, 

 making prodigious annual growth.s, the softer 

 part of which frequently suffers in winter, but is 

 readily renewed the following siinimer. 

 Rambling profusely over a trellis and high into 

 an old apple tree, it forms a lovely sight m 

 October when bearing freely its yellow nodding 

 bells carried in erect panicles. 



The Kaffir " Lily," Schizostylis coccinea, 

 which really belongs to the Iris family aiid is 

 not a Lily at all, is a plant which we ought to 

 make more u^se of. Flowering in October and 

 November, it is really one of the brightest and 

 best plants of its season. The flowers, produced 

 in spikes, are bright crinif^on and are carried 

 well above the Iris-like leaves. It likes a 

 sheltered place exposed to the sun and a fairly 

 moist soil ; in fact here it flowei'S on the rockery, 

 in the bog garden and in a sunny border ai the 

 base of a wall. The plant increases rapidly, and 

 should be divided when the growths become too 

 thiok, and consequently weak. 



Oxalis valdiviana, alluded to in former notes, 

 continued to flower freely through October and 

 into No \ ember ; a reall}^ fine plant for a sunny 

 position. 



The true Crocuses of autumn and early winter 

 are lovely and a source of pure delight. Among 

 those noticeable in October the following were 

 attractive : — C. hadriaticus, var. Saundersoni, 

 white with orange stigma, the outer segments 

 flushed wi+h brown. C. hadriaticus chryso- 

 belonious, sinailar to if not identical with the 

 last named. C. sativiis haussknechtii, pure 

 white with orange stigma ; C. Tournefortii, a 

 little dwarf species with lovely bright mauve 

 flowers ; and C. medius, a fine purple with 

 orange stigma. Crocus graecus, carpeting the 

 ground at the base of an old Larch tree, was a 

 charming sight on a sunny morning ; flowers 

 lilac -pur pic. 



vVhere Tropaeolum speciosum does well it is 

 a glorious jilant ; here it grows freely in peaty 

 soil among old Rhododendrons, and in autumn 

 smothers everything near it with its rampant 

 growths ; when flowering freely it is nioBt 



attractive, the crimson flowers giving a warm 

 touch of colour. It should not, however, be 

 planted neai' choice shrubs, tor if it does grow 

 it is hard to get rid of. Tropaeoluni tuherosiim 

 if? less aggressive for, though the .summer f. hoots 

 grow fast atul far, the root is tuberous and does 

 not spread like its relative. It is an excellent 

 plant for a wall, where it will scramble xip 

 through other shriibs and boar its orange - 

 yellow flowers freely till frost comes. 



Just at present (early November) nothing 

 could le finer than the silvery plumes of the 

 Pampas grass, of which there is many varieties, 

 some silvery white, others showing a tinge of 

 pink ; some quite dwarf and others variegated. 

 A selection planted about the garden is a notable 

 feature. 



A striking plant on the rock garden all through 

 October was Pentstemon si^ectabilis, native of 

 California, and which was raised from seeds ^ent 

 by Messrs. Bees, Ltd., the well known Cheshire 

 nurserymen, famous for the introduction of new 

 and rare plants. The tubular flowers are bright 

 blue A\'ithin and reddish-puiple on the outside ; 

 a very bea.utiful i:>lant which one hopes may 

 prove hard.y. 



Another rocker^ subject was gay in October — 

 viz., Solidago brachybotr^'S — about 1> inches 

 high, with short spikes of yellow flowers similar to 

 tSolidago virgauica nana, which flowers much 

 earlier. 



Fuchsias of many sorts continued to flower 

 bravely, and the trailing Lj^simachia Henrji 

 continued as gay as in September. Altogether 

 we had nmch to be thankful for in October. 



Notes. 



A Hybrid Laburnum 



Raised at Greenfields, Co. Tipperary. 



Raised from seed in 1907 by P. Schofield. It 

 forms a large bush, 8 or 10 feet high, blooming 

 the same time as any other Laburnum, then 

 puts forth new growth, and blooms again in Sep- 

 tember, and is yet a fairly good show (Oct. 20th). 

 [L. alpinum var. Autiininahs ?• — Ed.] 



Lavatera Olbia at Greenfields. 



Raised liere in 1917 from seed obtained from 

 Messrs. Barr & Sons, and planted out last spring ; 

 is now 8 feet high and 4 feet through, with slirub- 

 like appearance, having velvety deep green 

 leaves the shape of a large Ivy leaf. The flowers 

 are of a delicate pink, veined with a deeper 

 shade, and are 3 inches across. 



