IRISH GARDENING 



51 



I luay iiieution that a very conspicuous and 

 beautiful spot in my garden was where a group 

 of tall, soft, pink, yellow-eyed Primulas stood 

 up amidst the feathery rosiness of Saxifraga 

 Geum. The Primula was one of Bee's hybrids. 

 The above Primulas all tlii'ive in good, rich soil, 

 preferably damp, and will do well in parts of 

 the wild garden. 



Primula Poissoni resembles the above, but 

 has darkish purple flowers. It likes a really 

 damp spot, but is rather tender, and may be 

 lost in a severe winter. 



Cockburniana is of slighter build than anv of 



])ale blue, is valuable. If you have a damp 

 spot, grow PriiHida rosea- The flowers are of 

 a startlingly beautiful, bright, bright pink. 

 Nothing gives more pleasure than when walking 

 in the still dull February garden to catch a 

 glimjjse of the glow of colour from a few plants 

 of this little wonder. Even if you have only a 

 )'ot of earth you can grow Rosea, for it is out 

 to please, and will very seldom disappoint. 

 Rosea grandifiora flowers later than the type. 

 The gardener who likes novelty, should try 

 those distinct s])ecies. Primula vruscarioides and 

 PitfoiiidHd. The name of the former, meaning 



Primula capitata. 



the foregoing. The leaves are no larger than 

 Primrose leaves, anrl a si)ike, covered with meal, 

 bearing whorls of brilliant orange, scarlet 

 flowers rises from the heart. It is inclined to 

 be biennial, but it is said that if divided after 

 flowering it will live on perennially. Happily 

 it is very easily raised from seed, usually self- 

 sowing itself. Ordinary soil suits it, but it 

 does not need the damp which other species 

 require. 



A well-known species is Piimuhi (Jcniiculata. 

 E\eryone knows its heads of close set lilac, 

 yellow-eyed flowers produced in February and 

 ]\[arch. The varieties, notably the white and 

 tlie deep purple, are very beautiful, and should 

 l;e grown. Cashmeriana has a golden meal on 

 the underside of the leaves. J. Bovd's var., 



'■ like a Grape Hyacinth," is truly descriptive, 

 for the general appearance of the flow^er is very 

 like that of the little spring bulb, Muscari. The 

 infloresence is rather conical in shape, of a dark 

 blue-purple shade, and is composed of 

 numerous small, long-tubed flowers. Happily, 

 it is not difficult to grow ; any ordinary good 

 soil seems to suit it very well. Primula Litto- 

 niana has a most unusual appearance, remind- 

 ing one of a red-hot poker. At the top of the 

 spike are the buds in bright, red calyces, while 

 below the blue corolla protrudes, the whole 

 making a striking contrast. The flower stems 

 rise about eigliteen inches. This species is, 

 unfortunately, not always satisfactory in culti- 

 vation, as plants have a nasty way of " going 

 off " unaccountably. Nevertheless, it is worthy 



