i66 



IRISH GARDENING. 



number can be grown the best are E. lajiglcij- 

 ensis, flowers ros}' carmine; E. edinensls, with 

 larger flowers, paler in colour; and E. Dona id 

 Seedling, an attractive shrub, flowers wliite, 

 suffused i^ink. 



Forsytliias are always admired, flowering, as 

 they do, in March and April. F. suspenf^a, 

 with its long, slender shoots, is an eminently 

 graceful shrub, and bears abundantly its golden 

 yellow flowers. A magnificent form, of recent 

 introduction, is F. siisi>ensa Furtunei airocaiiUs, 

 with strong, stiff shoots, which are dark purple 

 in colour, and bear beautiful, large, clear yellow 

 flowers. 



F. intermedia densijloia and F. iiiirnnrdid 

 spcetaJ'ilis are two free-flowering s1imi1)s oI ex- 

 ceptional merit, and ought to be included \\here 

 possible. 



Genisias are allied to Cijtisus, and, like the 

 latter, enjoy the common name of " Jiroom." 

 In some cases, however, they make larger 

 specimens, and one or two are useful for late 

 flowering. 



G.(ietlinrit-^i>i, the Mount Etna Broom, grows 

 into a large specimen, over 15 feet high, but 

 should be well cut back for several years after 

 flowering or in spring, to keep it bushy as long 

 as i)ossible, the tendency being for it to become 

 leggy and wind-smashed. The flowers are pro- 

 duceil in Jidy. 



(I.cinerca grows uji to 10 feet, forming leafy 

 twigs, and bearing clusters of yellow ilowers in 

 sunnner. 



(J. tinctoria elatiur is a desirable variety of 

 the common ])yer's Greenwood, and grows 

 3 to 4 feet hig^h, bearing in late summer and 

 autumn terminal racemes of yellow flowers. 



G. virgata is a useful species, thriving in thin 

 woods and half-shady j>laces, though (piite 

 happy in fidl sun. Tt will grow up to 10 feet 

 high, and bears short racemes of bright j'ellow 

 flowers from July onwards. 



itydranged panicidata, and its sterile form, 

 grandifioid, ai'e desirable autumn flowering 

 shrubs, rejoicing in rich soil. The iuuucuse 

 inflorescences of whitt; flowers tttinin.itc tlu' 

 current year's growth, hence the shoots should 

 be pruned back in spring. 



Mdgmdias are among the choicest of llowcr- 

 ing shrubs and trees. The many forms of tlir 

 hybrid M. Hdidangrdna are all of merit, and 

 make a fine ^liow in April if lucky enougli to 

 escape spring frost. The flowers are large, 

 white, stained on the outside of the petals with 

 purple, the colouration varying in depth in 

 different forms; some of the l)est offered in 

 catalogues are N<>rJ)crti, Hperioiid, and Alc.ran- 

 drina. 



Where space is liiniti'd, and only one Mag- 

 nolia can be grown, .1/. i^tcUnln lias mncli to 



recommend it. The flowers are pure white, 

 freely jjroduced when the j^lant is doing well. 

 It should be planted in shelter, and shaded 

 from the morning sun, as frosts in the end of 

 JNIarch and early April frequently ruin the dis- 

 play. 



Olcarida are fairly numerous in gardens, but 

 for L;eut'ral planting, 0. maerodonld , with large, 

 prickly margined leaves and corymbs of white 

 flowers; 0. Hciastii, small oval leaves, and 

 coi'ymbs of white flowers in August; and O. 

 stelluUitd, with longer, narrow leaves, and pure 

 wliite Mowers in April, are niost to be i-ecom- 

 mcndcd. 



I'li'ilddclph dt^e», so counnonly called " Moek 

 Oranges," are general ta\(>urites, and here 

 again, whei'e space is limiliMl, the hybrids are 

 generally to be preferred to tlir wild species, 

 as many of them are less rampant in growth, 

 and may be kept to reasoiudjle limits by annual 

 pruning, yet continue to flower freely. Some 

 useful and ornamental sorts are — F. Lcnioinei 

 erectus, AvaUincJie , BaiDUr i r , Bouquet Blanc, 

 Manteau d'Heruiine, Maiit iUune, Rosace and 

 \'iiic Ldctiv: all have white, or cieani}' white, 

 flowers, and often semi-double. 



Frunus is the botanical name of the Plums, 

 Cherries, &c., and many charming pUmts arc 

 contained in the genus. Confining ourselves to 

 the more or less shrubby spt'cies, the following 

 can be recommended: — rrdiiuH triloba ji. pi., 

 bearing charming double ])ink ilowers on shoots 

 of the previous year in early .\pril ; F. japonica 

 fi. pl.^ in both pink and white, in Apiil; /'. 

 ioniciiiond, bearing innumerable white jiink- 

 tinted flowers, in March; F. suhhirtcUa and F. 

 niicrolcpis are both delightful sjx'cies, flowering 

 abundantly, but eventually becoming small 

 trees. 



Fgrus is well known as the botanical name 

 of the Apple. Not many of the species can be 

 called shrid)s, but /'. itigrn has white Ilowers in 

 .May followed by black fruits in autunni ; in 

 addition, the leaves take good autumn tints. 



F. fiorihundd , P. schiederhni, I'. Toringo, 

 and others form small bushy ti'ees, and are of 

 great beauty, where space can be spai'ed for 

 them. 



Spdrlliun juiiccdni, tlie Si)anish Broom, is 

 in\aluable in all gardens; its clear yellow 

 Ilowers ])roduced iri succession for many months 

 in summer and autumn. Tt nuist be pruned 

 well for a few years or it beconu's leggy, and 

 requires staking. 



Spirtcd.s arc legion, l)ut a few only of the 

 best are retjuii'ed in most gardens. The follow- 

 ing are recommended: — Spira'a argiita, bear- 

 ing abundance of pure white flowers in early 

 spring; Sp. Aitchisoiii, long, feathei'v plumes 

 of white flowers, in August; Hp. Inddenia, 



