138 



IRISH GARDENING 



tul, and is very handsome with its harge snow-white 

 flowers. . , ■, • 



SriUas, from the tiny early flowermg >. sihenca 

 and ,i. bifulia to the larger S. nutans and S. his- 

 pnnica, are usefnl and lovely ni beds and borders 

 and on the rock-garden; Chionodoxus are charm- 

 ing, particularly "(^'/i. LuciJiae (j'ujantea and sar- 

 (lensis; there are white varieties of the Scilhis as 

 well as of the Chionodoxas. Of various other InilVis, 

 corms and tubers for planting now we have 11 infer 

 Aconite, Enintliis hyenialis and ErantJns cilinrit. 

 Brudiueas, Fritillurias. Crocuses, Irises, including 

 English, ^pnnish, and Vutcli varieties, Ltliums. 

 such as L. Renryi, L. Furtunei, L. testaceum. L. 

 croceum, L. marhu/un and its varieties, L. innda- 

 Vtnum, L. Burhanh'ii. and the peerless L. reuide. so 

 freely raised from seed and happy in ordniary 

 garden soil. 



Anemones are to be had in great variety, notably 

 the ^Yood Anemone, A. nemorosa, and a host of 

 forms. .4. bUtndn, A. appenina, A. raminculoides, 

 gorgeous St. Bri(iid's of many hues, and the glorious 

 scarlet Windtlower. .1. fuUjens. To write in detail 

 of all the many species, varieties, and garden races 

 of bulbs, corms, and tubers which may be planted 

 now would till the pages of Irish G.^rdening over 

 and over again; but enough has been written to 

 show what a wealth of beauty we may enjoy from 

 early spring till well into siunmer, and at no great 

 cost. 



X- 



Notes from the Rock Garden. 



Autumn Effects. 



The true rock-gardener will never be satisfied with 

 the very usual remark that " rock-gardens only 

 look well in spring and early summer. I believe 

 this remark to be quite a fallacy, as I have now in 

 tliese autumn weeks as good colour effects and as 

 interesting groups of plants as at any time. 



Sheets of Pink and Carmine Sedums (spectabile 

 and rubrum). contrasting so well with the differ- 

 ent silvery and grey Artemisias, have given place 

 to another beautiful contrast, which I shall try to 

 describe. The withered blooms and superfluous 

 trails of the Sedums having been removed, they 

 retire gracefully into the background; and Arte- 

 misia pontica, one of the large-leafed species 

 with silvery-white foliage and spreading 

 dwarf habit of growth, makes a striking effect 

 beside Aquilegia canadensis, the dark ])urplish 

 red leaves shaded to brilliant carmine liaving 

 succeeded the plentiful and much-admired salmon 

 and yellow flower of sunnncr. Thalictrum diptero- 

 carpum and deep orange Hawk Weed grow near, 

 the latter plant, having l)een well cut back, makes 

 the present display dwarfer and more abundant. 

 Some small plants of the Thalictnnn, which is a 

 l)order variety, usually, had been ])lanted amongst 

 the stones for its maiden hair-like leaf. Now the 

 long graceful sprays of small lilac and yellow 

 blo.ssoms, with many white stamens bending over, 

 give a fairy-like appearance to this group. Sweetest 

 of scents is represented in Cheiranthus Allionii, 

 of deepest yellow, while tiny faces of black-velvety 

 purple look up admiringly from their humble posi- 

 tions. These belong to tliat choice and inl cresting 

 variety of Rock Viola. " IJowle's Black." and prove 

 as does C. Allionii the wisdom of cutting off all 

 withered blooms, save those for seed, and so pro- 

 longing the period of bloom. As 1 turn away to 



look at other plants, and glance back at the group 

 I have just described. I see that our handsome 

 Orange Cat, " Mr. Toots," has taken up his abode 

 in a "very imposing attitude among the plants, 

 looking as if he were necessary to complete the tout 

 ensemble, and that I could not possibly leave him 

 out. 



Artemisia gnaphaliodes throws up more and 

 longer spikes each day. A large pati-h of it is not 

 to be despised. The dried sprays arrange well in 

 winter, and its first growth looks well in sunnner. 

 carpeting the ground around Prinuila " Asthore " 

 and others. It now helps the effect of various Cam- 

 panulas, Scarlet Heucheras, Silene Schafta, and the 

 lovely autunui Cyclamens, pink, rose, and white. 

 Many Violas have a prolonged life. Campanula 

 " Hayloclgensis " makes dense masses of blooms; a 

 very desirable variety, easily increased, dwarf yel- 

 lowish leaves, very wide bells, truly bell-like, not 

 cup-shaped, of a lovely clear, pale lavender blue. 

 C. garganica is also a stand-by in autumn, and the 

 rock-garden does not go asleep for the winter any 

 sooner than the beds and borders. 



Amar.\nthe. 



Lilium testaceum. 



There is no doubt that I.ilium testaceum is one of 

 the most beautiful of the whole genus, with its 

 corolla of a delicate shade of apricot slightly tinged 

 with flesh colour, which distinguishes this Lily 

 from all others, its bright orange anthers forming 

 a charming contrast with its buff-coloured petals 

 gracefully reflexed. 



Its origin is unknown, as it has never been found 

 in a wild state, but it is believed to be a hybrid 

 between the Madonna Lily (L. candidum) and the 

 Turk's Cap Lily (li. chalcedonicum), and it cer- 

 tainly bears soine resemblance to these two species, 

 its stature and constitution closely resembling the 

 Madonna Lily, while the bright vermilion of 

 Lilium chalcedonicum shows in the delicate tint 

 of the flowers also somewhat resembling the latter 

 species with its reflexed petals. 



It is supposed to have been first noticed among 

 a batch of seedlings raised at Erfurt in 1846, 

 although it has also been said to come from Japan, 

 though neither of its re])uted parents grow there; 

 but reference is made in Dr. Wallace's " Notes on 

 Lilies " that lie had actually seen a figure of this 

 Lily among Japanese drawings. The plant grows 

 from five to six feet high, the flowi'rs being borne 

 in trusses of from six to twelve during July on stiff 

 stems, densely clothed their wliole length with 

 linear leaves si)irally arranged. 



It is also known under the name of L. excelsum 

 and li. isabellinum, but its popular English name 

 is the " Nankeen liily." as its colour very closely 

 approaches Nankeen dye. It requires similar con- 

 ditions to the Madoinia fiily. The bulbs should l)e 

 planted as soon as tlie flowering stems have died 

 down, certainly not after liu' middle of Sei)teml)er, 

 l)iitting them just lielow the .-surface in a sheltered 

 ))Osition in good hiain. preferably not in full sun, 

 and if the soil is not of a cak'ar(M)us nature lime or 

 mortar rubbish should be added. They may not 

 make a great show the first year, but once estab- 

 lished they should l)e left undisturbed, when they 

 will increase and form a beautiful mass as in the 

 illustration. 



F. G. Preston, 



Cambridge, 



