IRISH GARDENING 



41 



Pentstemons for the Rock Garden. 



Pentstemons are c-onspiciious in tlie summer 

 flower garden, and the beautiful varieties and 

 seedling strains now availal)le are among the most 

 valuable of so-called bedding plants. They com- 

 bine hardiness and freedom of flowering with a 

 perfectly natural appearance lacking in some races 

 of florists' flowers. 



The genus as a whole is a most interesting one, 

 including a large ninulier of species, nearly all of 

 ornamental value. 



flowers being smaller than in those of the species 

 used in the production of the florists' type and 

 hence they did not appeal to the hybridist who has 

 apparently worked for size in the flowers. If, how- 

 ever, good blue Pentstemons with fairly large 

 flowers could be produced their effect in beds and 

 groups would be very fine. 



I'enf.sfeinijii tuizonicus has lately come into 

 cultivation. It is a low growing plant of tufted 

 habit, a foot or less in height at flowering; the 

 lower leaves are stalked, those on the stems sessile; 

 flowers reddish violet. 



r. lhi(hjesii i.s a dwarf, shrubby species, form- 



Herbaceous Borders at Straffan, Co. Kildare. 

 Planttnl in March' and photographed in August (see page 46.) 



While the florists' varieties, with their bright 

 colours and robust habit, are admirably adapted 

 for herbaceous borders and colour effects in beds 

 the species are more suitable for the rock garden. 

 The variation in habit is considerable, from tiny 

 creeping species a few inches high to others reach- 

 ing three feet or so when in flower. Some of the 

 members of the genus are certainly too leafy and 

 coarse to merit cultivation on any but the largest 

 rock gardens, and in most cases a selection of the 

 choicer kinds only will be preferred. Cultivation 

 is not difficult, with one or two exceptions, and 

 propagation can mostly l)e effected by means of 

 seeds or cuttings. Many of the true species are 

 remarkal)ie for the very beautiful shades of blue 

 found in the flowers, and it is a matter for regret 

 that no good blue-flowered variety is known 

 among the popular Pentstemons of florists. This 

 niay be accounted for, perhaps, by the fact of the 



ing woody stems with lance-shaped leaves and 

 bearing short spikes of reddish violet flowers. Of 

 the same shrul)by habit are F. Keir1)erryi and P. 

 Scoiileri, both sometimes classed as varieties of 

 r. Mciizirsii, the former with rosy purjjle flowers 

 and the latter violet purple. Both are handsome 

 plants and may be geographical forms of P. Men- 

 ziesii, which is aprnirently a variable species, 

 occurring in some localities as a low creeping 

 plant Avilh woody shoots and bearing violet or 

 purple flowers, but in warmer regions becoming 

 taller, as in the varieties mentioned above. 

 Nearly related to Menziesii, if not forms of it, are 7'. 

 Ddridsmii and 1' rup'icuhi^ dwarf, prostrate, 

 shrubby species with romidish leaves and bearing 

 comparatively large flowers, rosy purple in colour. 

 F. ciistdfus. also in cultivation, is equally dwarf, 

 with small, narrow leaves and bearing light purple 

 flowers. 



