170 



IRISH GARDENING 



it '19 eas3' to get overcrowded, from the simple 

 fact that superseded varieties are not discarded. 

 It does not follow that all new varieites are 

 improvements — tastes differ — and to put it 

 mildly, we think nursery-men are often too 

 sanguine, and might frequently rogue their 

 seedling beds more rigoroush-, with advantage 

 to themselves. However, in many cases 

 nurserymen are only the vendors, and many 

 sterling novelties were raised h\ keen and 

 clever amateurs and professional gardeners. 



Without attempting to enumerate all the 

 excellent plants available for the lierbactMJUs 

 border, it may be useful to look at a few (jf 

 recent introduction. 



AchiUea Perry's Varicttj is an improvemeut 

 on The Pearl, forming fine heads of pure white 

 flowers, produced over a long season. It grows 

 about 2i feet high, and spreads somewhat 

 treely. 



Aroiiitiiiii Sparh's Vmicfy was discovered by 

 -Mr. -Maurice Pritclianl, a very keen plantsmau, 

 and is an excellent ])lant, growing 4 feet high, 

 and producing fine panicles of deep-blue flowers. 



Ancliusa " Drophutrc " and .4. Opal are not 

 exactly new, but are such as shoidd not be 

 omitted, on account of their beautiful blue 

 t)orage-like flowers in summer; both grow 4 feet 

 liigh or more in good soil. 



Aster Amellus, long a favourite in garden.^, 

 has given rise to numerous new forms of late 

 years, and we now have a fine range of colours 

 from plants, producing large heads. Some of 

 the best are — Amellus roseiis, Bcaiitij of Hox-s- 

 (lorff, Onward, fieuve bleu, Riverslea, preziosa, 

 ('has. Davis, &c. The heights vary from 2 to 8 

 feet, and the colours thnnigh blue, mauve and 

 pink. 



Cam pa iiiihi persicifolia , the old peach-leaved 

 Belldower, has been wonderfully prolific oi 

 varieties. ('. persicifolia Xcicry (iiaut has been 

 known for some years, but is not so often seen 

 as it might be. The flowers are of great size, 

 semi-double, and pur<' w liite, the ])lant growing 

 8 feet high. 



C. p. Telhaiii jiraiitij is of recent introduc- 

 tion, and bears large, single i)lue flowers. 

 Numerous others of Continental origin have 

 very large flowers, and are distinct advances on 

 older varieties. 



f'liripfanthenivm maxiannn FJoilr l)\\)ti'(rK 

 is not new, yet strangely little known in 

 gardens. Of stout habit, ])roducing enormous 

 flower-heads, without any trace of grossness, 

 and growing 4 feet high, it far outclasses ]\Irs. 

 C. L. Bell, and is easily the finest of the 

 " maximum " set. 



Delphinnniis are now sf) numerous that to 

 make even a selection of what one might con- 

 sider the best would fill pages of Irish Garden- 



ing. A good selection is given at page 123 of 

 the August issue of this Journal, and any 

 specialist's catalogue will provide many more. 



Ecliinacca purpurea. Perry's variety, and 

 E. p. Taplow variety are two useful herbaceous 

 plants, growing to a height of 3 or 4 feet, and 

 producing fine, reddish-i)urple flowers, which 

 give a distinct tone of colour in the border. 



Erigerons have become popular of late years, 

 and are valuable, coming in before the Asters, 

 and flowering for a quite a long jieriod. Among 

 those of recent introduction, Erigrron iinicnni- 

 thus is useful antl striking, growing nearly 

 3 feet high, and j)roducing abundantly fine 

 bluish-mauve flowei's. E. Amos Perry is rjf 

 (jutstanding merit, flowering from early sum- 

 mer until the end of September, and even latter ; 

 flowers large, violet-blue in colour. 



Gcntiana ancle piadea is no new i)lant, but 

 always a favourite with hardy-plant lovers. 



6'. a. Perry's variety is a robust form, with 

 fine deep-blue flowers; and ecjually desirable is 

 Bowie's varicfij. flowering over a long season. 



Geuin Mrs. liradshaw , hardly to be reckoned 

 new now, marked an era in the history of the 

 " Avens '" family, and is not yet surpassed. 

 Producing alnaulanth- large semi-double 

 flowers, of a rich orange-red, on long, stout 

 stems, it is one of the glories of summer. 



G. Mr. Bradshaic is a rich yellow coimter- 

 part, and both should be included in every 

 border. 



Gypsopltila paiiicalafa fiorcplciio. the doublt- 

 variety of the popidar " Gy])sophila, " is not 

 new, but should certainly be planted for the 

 fine, billowy effect of its numerous branching 

 stems, bearing m^-riads of small white " balls," 

 more effective than the single flowers of the 

 t\'pe, but b}' some considered less elegant for 

 cutting. 



lleleniu III Itircrhni Beauty is an exception- 

 ally fine variety of tln' old //. autuiiniale and 

 grows 4 or 5 feet high, producing masses (<f 

 large, golden-yellow floweis in eaily autumn. 

 and continuing in beauty- till late in the year. 



Heleniam Riverton Gent is similar in growth, 

 but bears beautiful orange-crimson flowers of 

 rare effect. It is a vastly imi>r()\cd form (>f 

 the old //. aaf. striatum. 



Ilelianfli IIS 'M is.s Mcllish and //. siiar!^iltonis 

 are tall " Sunflowers," of gri'at nuiil in late 

 autumn. Pxith grow () feet high, the former 

 producing large, golden-yellow flowers and the 

 latter abundance of smaller flowers of clear 

 yellow. 



Heliontli IIS rigidiis, a very nld plant, is still 

 one of the l)est, growing about 4 feet high; 

 producing innumerable clear yellow flowers, of 

 great value for cutting. 



Irises have lately sprung into prominence, 



