IRISH GARDENING. 



m 



and many beautiful varieties are now in com- 

 merce. They are not always successful in a 

 thickly-planted herbaceous border, as the 

 I'hizomes do not get the sun they require to 

 ripen them. Planted in borders by themselves, 

 they make a great show in June, but they are 

 best planted not later than September. 



Heuclicras, although to be had in many 

 named varieties, we prefer to raise from seeds. 

 Seedlings grow strongly, and produce sheaves 

 of flowers on long, wiry stems, and make 

 beautiful masses in the border. The best 

 seedlings can be divided, and replanted in 

 autumn. 



Scabiusa caucasica Pcrfecta and S. caiicaaica 

 Dki))iond are fine selected" seedlings of the old 

 Caucasian Scabious. Their light-mauve flowers 

 are most effective in the border, and are in- 

 valuable for cutting. 



Of popular florists' flowers, such as Phloxes 

 and Pyrcthninis, there is an abundant choice, 

 but too much space would be required to in- 

 corporate them in these notes. Nevertheless, 

 tit will be seen t'hat we have abundance of 

 material to make a In'illiant garden of hardy 

 plants for nearly eight months in the year, and 

 we have not enumerated one-half of them. 



B. 



The Rose Garden. 



I'L.VXTING IiOSES. 



During November, if the weather is suitable, 

 lioses may be planted with every hope of 

 success. The roots have still time to get a hold 

 of the soil ere the coldest weather arrives, and 

 plants put in now are likely to start away in 

 spring better than those left to a later date. 

 Eoses like a fairly rich, retentive soil, but not 

 so heavy as to be soiu' and cold. What gar- 

 deners call a medium soil of good tilth suits the 

 majority of varieties; in fact, a well- worked 

 soil, such as grows good vegetables, will not be 

 far amiss for Eoses of any kind. A good 

 vegetable soil is one that has been deeply 

 worked — at least two feet — and reasonably 

 manured according to the crop to be grown. 

 Every gardener makes his own soil, irrespective 

 of what it may be at the beginning. If shallow 

 and gravelly beloW he either removes the gravel 

 to the required depth or he adds to the depth 

 by placing more material above ; it depends on 

 cii'cumstances. If he can afford the labour and 

 can get rid of the gravel, he may decide to ex- 

 cavate and make up the deficiency by adding 

 more soil, or he may add the soif without re- 

 moving the gravel. Frequently some modifi- 

 cation of the latter plan is adopted, and the 

 top soil is added to and enriched by the addition 



of such soil, manure or other vegetable refuse 

 as may be available; the object being to counter- 

 act the rapid dr\-ing of the surface soil due to the 

 presence of gravel below. When ])lanting Eoses 

 it is detrimental to place rank dung in proximity 

 to the roots. The roots at this sta^e are unable 

 to utilise such strong food material, and instead 

 of growing, are more likely to decay. Thoroughly 

 rotted manure may, however, be dug into the 

 soil, and should be well mixed with it, so that 

 when planting the compost will be a mixture 

 of rotten dung and soil. Should the top soil be 

 fairly gcjod the best plan is to plant the Eoses 

 without any manure, and when planting is 

 finished cover the surface with a two or three 

 inch layer of dung, which may remain there all 

 winter and be lightly dug in in spring. 



Varieties grown as standards must be 

 securely staked, and the stake shoidd be placed 

 in position when planting is being done, so that 

 it may be well firmed when the soil is being 

 placed around the roots. Bush plants should 

 not be fully pruned till March, but shovdd have 

 the longer shoots shortened back, at least half 

 waj-, to prevent rocking by wind. E amblers 

 may be cut down to w'ithin six inches of the soil 

 to encourage the production of strong shoots 

 from the base next summer. Many people 

 object to removing the long shoots of Eamblers 

 at planting time, but unless this is done at the 

 latest in March satisfactory growth will not be 

 made during summer, as the root system will 

 not have developed sufficiently to produce a 

 crop of flowers from the old wood, and new- 

 growths at the same time. 



True Tea-scented Eoses are usually not so 

 hardy as most other races, and benefit from 

 being protected with dr\^ bracken, leaves, or 

 other material until the advent of more genial 

 weather in spring. Some good growers recom- 

 mend drawing up the soil to a height of six 

 inches or so about the base of the branches; 

 then, though the tops may be killed, the buds 

 below the soil are safe and grow away strongly 

 in spring when the soil is levelled down. 



A selection good for garden decoration and 

 for cutting would be : — 



Hybrid Te.vs. 



Caroline Tcstoid, light salmon pink. 



Crunaun /'>///^/('//(, very fine crimson. 



Ooicral MacArtJiur, bright crimson. 



Jam en Coct/, golden yellow. 



Madame Abel Chatenaij, carmine, rose and 

 salmon. 



Man/aret Diclcso)! Ha)iiiU, straw yelljvv, 

 flushed carmine. 



Hybrid Perpetuals. 

 HuijJi Dicl-aoit, brilliant crimson scarlet. 

 Mrti. John Laiug, soft pink. 



