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iKiSM UAKJJU-JNIINU 



Avens in my garden is Silene acaulis, which, 

 although considered difficuh. thrives perfectly in 

 the same soil (if I may call it so) as the Dryas. 



Among the Saxifrages we get several interest- 

 ing plants. Our mountains furnish us with many 

 varieties of the mossy type. Among these S. 

 rosacea and S. Sternbergii stand out, the former 

 on account of its neat habit, grey foliage and the 

 length of time it remains in bloom; the latter on 

 account of its beautiful green cushions and pure 

 flowers. No garden is complete without S. oppositi- 

 folia with its large purple flowers and creeping 

 tufts. It is quite at home in a svniny, slanting 

 spot in the limestone moraine as on our mountain 

 tops. Saxifrages Hirculus, stellaris, aizoides, are 

 all attractive. They can all do with a stony, 

 sopping, boggy spot. The Irish variety of Lon- 

 don Pride should be grown. It is differentiated 

 from the common Pyrenean form by its more 

 beautiful, dentated leaves. Saxifraga Geum is 

 another easy, beautiful plant. The annual S. 

 tridactylites is quite interesting. 



It will be seen that with our native Saxifrages 

 alone anyone could make a very enjoyable little 

 garden. Few of the species are fastidious, and 

 if their wants are studied there is no reason why 

 all could not be growai. 



Other genera give us one or two species each. 

 Pinguicula grandiflora is a lovely thing, and will 

 flower w-ell if it is kept sufficiently damp. The 

 Wood Anemone in its blue form is exceedingly 

 l)eautiful and worth the best position you can give 

 it. The Pyrolas are delightful, too, if you can 

 grow them. I have seen Pyrola minor flourishing 

 in the garden, growing out of a carpet of 

 Sibthorpia. 



Among the heaths there are many indispensable 

 plants; few of the white varieties can be w^ell done 

 without. Ericas Mackayii and Mediterranea are 

 fine. The most beautifiil of all is, perhaps, 

 Menziesia polifolia, with its little bells just like 

 fairy footballs, as Miss Jekyll says. The white 

 variety is as deliglitful a small shrub as might be 

 desired. Empetrum nigrum, which I collected on 

 the summit of Slieve Donard, is a valuable little 

 carpeting .shrub with dainty leaves and flowers, 

 followed by l)lack l)erries. 



Talking of dwarf shrubs, Potentilla fruticosa is 

 one of the best small flowering shrul)s obtainable. 

 It grows in the West of Ireland, locally abundant 

 where it occurs. Another very elegant little tree 

 is Juniperus nana, the dwarf juniper, found wild 

 on many of our mountains, but by no means com- 

 mon. It forms a spreading mass of somewhat 

 glaucous branches, seldom rising more than four 

 inches above the surface of the ground. It is not 

 difficult to grow. 



Space forbids more than a mere nientinn ot 

 other fine plants. T1h> Hare1)ell. especially in tlie 

 large and white forms, is well worth growing. 

 Campanula rapunculoides is a beautiful, terrible 

 weed. The Bog Pimpernel is so beautiful that 

 Euskin spent hours sitting on a stone admiring 

 it. The Geraniums give us some plants more re- 

 spectable than refined. Kare sylvaticum and 

 sanguineum are quite good, but far surpassed by 

 Lancastriense. 



The Helianthemuius. especially vineale, are fine. 

 Euphorbia Hilierna, Sedums acre, album, angli- 

 cum and rupestre. Valerian, Welsh Poppy. Wild 

 Thyme and its varieties, many Orchids. Glaucium. 

 Ho"use-leek, some Violets, are just a few beautiful 

 connnon plants picked haphazardly. They will 

 suggest further species which space prevents mo 

 from enumerating. 



If we permit ourselves English wild plants our 

 range is still wider. Primula farinosa, Cypri- 

 pedium Calceolus, Dianthus deltoides— these head 

 the list with many other fine plants to follow. It 

 must not be imagined that I countenance the up- 

 rooting of rare plants to bring home (c the 

 garden. No one is more to be despised than the 

 man who helps to destroy our flora. With many 

 of our commoner plants no harm is done Tjy re- 

 moving a root or two, but in the case of rare 

 plants, seed only should be collected. It should 

 be the aim of every gardener to protect and. if 

 possible, increase our flora. It is perfe>"tly legiti- 

 mate for a gardener to raise a stock of" a rare 

 indigenous species, and place a few plants in its 

 haunts. By bringing together a collection of our 

 more beautiful plants we awaken appreciative in- 

 terest in those who see them, and enable invalids 

 and others unable to hunt down the species them- 

 selves to enjoy them. Not the least part of the 

 enjoyment of this kind of gardening is the 

 pleasure of collecting and exch-in.;2;ing specimens, 

 for every plant awakens memories of some 

 pleasant tramp over the hills, or some enthusiastic 

 bygone friends. 



E. A. A. 



A Horticultural Journey, 



In Ireland we suffer so much from wind and all 

 too little sun that it has always been a great 

 pleasure to see gardens as they are in the more 

 favoured calm and sun of Southern England. 

 We do not suppose anyone will dispute that 

 Ireland is at a disadvantage in regard to wind. 

 Blow ! blow ! seems to be our lot, although in 

 point of winter mildness we can beat the sister 

 country, and, in our maritime countieii, can culti- 

 vate to perfection numerous shru1)s and plants 

 which do not winter without protection even in 

 the mildest parts of England. In exceptionally 

 sultry weather we have found Kew scarce worth 

 visiting so far as flowers are concerned, but in 

 pleasant summer days what a contrast it presents 

 to Hibernian gardens. The Roses and flower 

 beds revel in the genial warmth and calm balmy 

 airs, and a walk down the ])road. grass-covered 

 avenues in July, with long lines of fragrant 

 Limes on either side is something to remember. 



With a healthy horticultural appetite we reached 

 London at the end of June, but the long con- 

 tinued drought following the lean years consequent 

 on the war well nigh destroyed for the time being 

 most of what we had come to see. The big 

 nurseries, which formerly were weedless. are a 

 sad sight, and everywhere we had further 

 evidence of the famine in Roses and fruit trees. 

 The shortage of the former is important, but in 

 the case of fruit trees it is serious, as fruit is an 

 indispensable part of the food of the country. Of 

 course tlie war has wrought havoc in every garden 

 and we were careful to preserve happier luemories 

 of familiar beauty spots like Hampton Court by 

 reserving our ne.xt visit for a future time. 



Flower shows are unsatisfying at the best. The 

 National Rose Show, the R. H. S. Fortnightly 

 Meeting and Sweet Pea Show, and the bigger 

 affair at Chelsea on St. Dunstan's Day. all failed 

 to afford nnich pleasure, but we happily kept till 

 the last our visit to Munstead Wood, the well- 

 known home of Miss Gertrude Jekyll. V.M.H. 

 Having heard so much about it we alighted at 

 Godalming Station with lively anticipation and, 



