IRISH GARDENING 



163 



and luxuriance on the limestone pavements of 

 Clare show sufficiently that it fears neither 

 wind nor a certain amount of sun. 



With the Hard Pern {Blechnuni Spicant), 

 ^^■hK■h is so often brought into the garden onlv 

 to die, the case is very simple. Alone among 

 British Ferns, it cannot endure lime. Give it 

 a hme-free soil, and it offers no difficulty. 



While a good many of our native Ferns— the 

 Oak Fern, Beech Fern, Mountain Buckler 

 Fern, and Green Spleenwort, for example- 

 favour mountain regions, five species— the 

 Alpme Polypody (Pol ij podium alpestrc), the 

 two Woodsias (TF. ilvensis and W. hyperborea), 

 the Holly Fern (Polystichuni Lonchitls) and the 

 Mountain Bladder Fern (Cystopteris montana) 

 are really alpine in habitat, being confined to 

 tlie higher mountain ranges of Wales, the Lake 

 District, or Scotland— the Hollv Fern alone 

 occurring in Ireland (west coast "from Donegal 

 occasionally to Kerry). All of these are quite 

 amenable to cultivation in the open, and offer 

 no difficulty. 



Only one British Fern is a true swamp plant 

 —the Marsh Fern (Lastrea Thelpyteris) It 

 likes ground as wet as it can get it, and in many 

 places its creeping rhizomes are under water for 

 lialt the year. But in the garden it demands 

 no exceptional treatment. Indeed, in niv rock 

 garden a bit of it appeared among Anthi/llis 

 Montana, a hairy plant of Mediterranean type 

 requiring abundance of sun and drainage and 

 accustomed at home to semi-desert condition^ 

 llus ill-assorted pair grew together amicably in 

 a vei^- dry spot for years, till at last an excep- 

 tional drought was too much for the Marsh 

 iern. 



A Selection of Flowering Shrubs 

 for Planting now* 



Shrubs are so numerous nowadays that the 

 beginner is apt to become confused in trvinc. 

 to make a selection. " ° 



It depends entirely, of course, what object is 

 m view when the selection is being made It 

 Js quite possible to choose all evergreens and 

 yet have a great variety, if the position requires 

 evergreens; or the aim may be to get a fine 

 colour effect from the leaves in autumn in 

 which case the species chosen need not neces- 

 sarily be remarkable for their flowers. Fruits, 

 too, and coloured shoots are not always pro- 

 duced by the shrubs with the most attractive 

 flowers. 



The following, however, are chosen for their 

 flowers, though some bear attractive fruits, and 

 have good autumn foliage : — 



Abelia floribiinda is a most attractive ever- 



green species from Mexico, but requires the 

 shelter of a wall in all but the most favoured 

 parts of Ireland; nevertheless, the lon^ pen- 

 dulous, tubular, rosy -red flowers are ' most 

 attractive, and it is worth a place on a wall 

 M-heve many less worthy plants are often accom- 

 modated. 



Abelia cliinensis is quite hardy, and is a mo.st 

 useful species, flowering throughout summer 

 and autumn, the ilowers being white and 

 fragrant It is partly evergreen, but loses 

 many ot the leaves in winter. 



Berberis Darwinii, a native of Chili, cannot 

 be omitted from any selection of flowering 

 shrubs. In addition to being evergreen it pro° 

 duces m April and May abundance of 'golden- 

 yellow blossoms of rare beauty. This species 

 often bears a good crop of blue berries in 

 autumn, which afford a ready means of pro- 

 pagation. 



Berberis stenophyJIa is a hybrid of B Dar- 

 winii and a small species called B. empetrifolia 

 It IS by many considered the finest of all the 

 Barberries, and is certainly a magnificent 

 flowering shrub. Forming a mass of slender 

 shoots furnished with small leaves, a well-grown 

 plant makes a striking picture in April and 

 early May when densely covered with l)eautiful 

 deep yellow flowers. 



Buddleias are useful late summer and 

 autumn flowering shrubs, and should be pruned 

 hard back in spring. The most useful for 

 general planting are the selected varieties of 

 . B. variabUis, which, according to some 

 botanists, should be called B. Davidii. Good 

 soil is necessary, and free exposure to sun and 

 air IS essential, othenvise the long shoots are 

 unable to support the terminal flower racemes. 

 The best varieties are B. variabdis VeiteJiiana, 

 B. var: magnifica, B. var. aiupla, but new 

 varieties are being raised from seeds, and im- 

 t)rovements are likely to take place.' All the 

 best forms have" flowers of shades of violet or 

 purple. 



Ceanoihus is an American genus of evergreen 

 and deciduous shrubs ; of great value either for 

 \^alls, beds, or borders. The evergreen species 

 mostly flower in spring and early summer, and 

 are excellent wall plants, though all may be 

 grown in sheltered sites in the open in Ireland. 

 Ceanoihus papillosus is one of the most 

 attractive; very fine as a wall plant, but 

 thriving in sunny, sheltered shrubberies. The 

 leaves are warty on the upper surface, hence 

 the specific name; and the flowers, produced 

 in racemes, are a pleasing light blue. 



Ceanoihus thysiflorus is one of the stronger 

 growers, reaching quite 15 feet in the open, 

 and bears in June numerous clusters of blue 

 flowers, a good bush making a fine show. 



