IRISH GARDENING. 



and other shrubo making young growths, may be 

 inserted, and mossy Saxifragas, double Arabis, 

 perennial Candytufts, and other rock garden 

 plants which have passed out of flower and are 

 making new growths will usually tstrike freely. 



A.. 



Dodecatheons- 



American Cowslips. 



The Dodecatheons are spring or early summer 

 flowering plants as we know them, though 

 American writers separate them culturally into 



They are truly perennial, rarely failing to appear 

 every year, and seem indifferent to the hardest 

 winter. 



The first to flower here is D. Jeffreyi, a robust 

 grower, forming long, fleshy leaves and producing 

 a tall flower stem of two feet or more, carrying 

 numerou>3 drooping flowers of a reddish purple 

 colour. 



Soon after Jeffreyi comes D. integrifolium, an 

 altogether smaller plant with shorter leaves and 

 the flower stem not more than a foot or so high. 

 The flowers are of a rich rosy purple and look 

 extremely attractive in a half-shady position. 



two divisions, viz. — those which flower in 

 winter and re^t during sunnner, and those which 

 rest in winter and flower in July and August. 

 In our climate no such well marked difference is 

 observable, at lea?t among those ordinarily found 

 in cultivation. Again, some botanists have con- 

 sidered that the majority of the forms belong to 

 D. Meadia, but others have separated theui into 

 distinct species. 



In any case for the rock garden in idiady, moist 

 positions the Dodecatheons are of the greatest 

 value and are always admired. They may be 

 grown well in company with the smaller Mecon- 

 opses. Primulas such as P. japonica, isikkimensis, 

 reticulata, denticulata. secundiflora, &c., and add 

 much interest and beauty to the moist, half- 

 shady recesses usually devoted to such plants. 



About the same time D. Meadia begins to throw 

 up its flower spikes, and in one or other of its 

 forms continues for several weeks. The colour of 

 the flowers varies considerably in this species, and 

 varietal names have been given to several. 

 Variety lilacina has lilac purple flowers, album 

 pure white and very attractive, while others have 

 rosy purple flowers. 



D. Lemoinei reprei^ents a series of garden forms 

 the result of crossing D. Meadia and D. Jeffreyi. 

 They are of robust habit, free flowernig and 

 .giving various beautiful shades. Atropurpureum 

 is well described in its varietal name; compactum 

 is a dwarf form with purplish violet flowers, and 

 ■Vobustum is a strong grower with purplish rose 

 flowers. . ,. , 



D. Cleveland! i.3 a vigorous grower with purplisn 



