IRISH GARDENING. 



137 



lily. Some self -grown seedlings of O. eimea- 

 phylla have appeared, all of them some dis- 

 tance from, and most of them higher up, than 

 the parent plant. 



Koscoea cautlioides bloomed very finely, and 

 is now setting large seed pods. It is a very dis- 

 tinct plant, and well worth growing. 



Of the earlier Campanulas, garganica, erinus 

 and W. H. Paine were smothered with bloom. 

 C. Allioni (type) and a large-leaved variety with 

 enormous bells did well in the moraine. C. 

 acutangula, also in the moraine, is a large, 

 healthy mass, and the foliage was almost hidden 

 from view by the blossom. It seems to thrive 

 in a dry, stony place. 



Contoneaster congesta is a delightful shrub 

 for the surface of a rock — it clings fiercely to the 

 surface of the stone, following and showing the 

 contour, and is always beautiful. It gives me 

 more pleasure than any other shrub in the rock 

 garden. 



J. Harper Scaife, LL.B. 



Bulb Planting. 



The advent of the bulb catalogues remind us that 

 the bulb planting season is again with us. They 

 further show that a return to pre-war conditions 

 in our gardens is now possible, for the contents 

 in many cases are nearly as choice and complete as 

 of yore. 



For beds perhaps few bulbs are more suitable 

 than Tulips, from the early-flowering Dutch varie- 

 ties, through mid-season, to the May flowering 

 Cottage and Darwin varieties. 



For a brilliant and early display the early singles 

 are unexcelled — such varieties as Artus, deep 

 scarlet; Belle AUiance, crimson; (JhiysfAora. 

 yellow; Cotiitije Maid, pink and white, and others, 

 make a brave show quite early in April, while 

 rather later come such fine things as Couleur ('ar- 

 dinal, deep crimson; Joust vnn Voiidel, cherry red; 

 rrince of Aiistria, orange red, and others, followed 

 by the cottage varieties, like the old, but lovely, 

 Bouton d'Or, deep yellow, the Gesneriunas, both 

 yellow and red; tiJunidon Bells, cream and rose; 

 L(i Merveille. orange-apricot, and many another 

 charming variety. Of Darwins we may again pur- 

 chase Clam Butt, salmon rose, the fiery scarlet 

 Farncomhe Sanders, Gretchen, silvery rose; La 

 Candeur, almost pure white, and Pride of Haarlem, 

 old rose. 



Specialists or collectors will call to mind numy 

 other beautiful varieties, and may indeed consider 

 those mentioned as but second-rate examples, but 

 selection must be governed by individual taste and 

 the size of one's income. 



Daffodils hold pride of place in many gardens, 

 and are luiexcelled for naturalising in grass, under 

 deciduous trees, by the margins of lakes, ponds 

 and streams. In beds, too, they are beautiful, and 

 an early bed of Golden Spur never fails to please. 

 There are many new varieties belonging to many 

 sections, and while not all are, in the writer's 

 opinion, improvements on older sorts, yet some un- 

 doubtedly are. For planting in quantity, either in 

 beds, borders, thin woodlands, or grassy banks, 

 there are few, if any, yet to beat Em pernr. Empress, 



Tlorsefieldii, Sir 'Watl^in, Barii Conspicuus, and 

 nearly any of the poeticus varieties. Others, how- 

 ever, which are good for grass; when available in 

 quantity, are Seafjull, Albatross, Wliite Lady, Jjady 

 Maryaret Bosccnren, Brigadier, and Madame de 

 Graaff ; while still others like Kathleen and Black- 

 u-ell, tall, upstanding varieties, have probably 

 never been tried. The great want at the present 

 time is for good, yellow, triunpet varieties for 

 grass planting. The peerless King Alfred, if it 

 could be purchased cheaply, woidd make a marvel- 

 lous show in grass if it succeeded, and so would the 

 gloriously-coloured, but fickle, muximus, which 

 seems to love only deep, damp soil. If only some 

 of our Irish Daffodil specialists, like Mr. Wilson or 

 Mr. Richardson, would tell us what they think of 

 the giant J.eedsii varieties now beconung so popu- 

 lar, what an impetus might be given to the cult of 

 the Daffodil in Ireland ! 



Snowdrops ever retain their place in the affec- 

 tions of flower lovers, and their advent soon after 

 Christmas is heralded with joy. There are many 

 species, but none more charming than the common 

 single. 



Snowdrops do not always establish easily, and 

 are resentful of being long out of mother earth. 

 The best time to plant is just before the leaves have 

 died off, but they are rarely procurable at that 

 time. If obtained in the ordinary way from a bidb 

 merchant they may not do of their best for a year 

 or two, but will ultimately go ahead if planted in 

 good damp soil; they abhor drought. The giant 

 Snowdrop, Gala nth us Elwesii, is now fairly plenti- 



Photo by] [F. G. Pieaton 



Reg.-cyclus Iris Eucharis. 



(P. 139.) 



