IRISH GARDENING 



55 



Larkspur, a well-known flower, but its pro- 

 j'ertit'S, when well known, are very marked. 

 The stock-flowered section of tliis annual 

 J )elj)hiniuni, is to my mind the l)est; and as 

 it thrives in any soil, no flower-lover should be 

 without it. The taller sorts may take a back 

 place in the border, or fiinge the edges of 

 a shrub border, but give space to whatever 

 form is grown and a fitting rooting medium, 

 and ample compensation will result. Rosy 

 Scarlet is a fine thing in the tall section, and 

 tlie colours range from white to blue. 



Clarkias. — In the matter of improvement 

 this beautifid annual has been amenable to 

 the hybridst's hand, and some of the finest 

 colours are found in the elegans section, 

 which flowers in sprays. The culture is of the 

 easiest, so long as the space between each 

 ])lant is not less than 9 to 12 inches, and the 

 other conditions ordinary. The varieties Orange 

 King, Salmon Queen, and Vesuvius are good 

 things in the elegans section; while the pul- 

 cliella section contains some fine, but dwarf, 

 Aarieties, ranging in colour from white to rose, 

 with a height of about 1 to li foot. 



Lavatera. — Two outstanding varieties occur 

 to my mind — viz., vnacti npJoideris, and its 

 white form, alba aploidoh^. Their needs are 

 small ; but for either, a well-prepared bed or 

 border, there are few gayer subjects in sum- 

 mer ; the large flowers, freely carried above the 

 heads of foliage, always attract attention, 

 w hile they are effective for indoor decoration. 



liiNUM RUBRUM. — The Scarlet Flax is a gay 

 sui)ject, giving a blaze of brightness in sum- 

 mer, and certainly worthy of inclusion for 

 (fleet. 



Poppies of the annual order are numerous, 

 but none appeals to me like the " Shirley 

 of a good strain, ephemeral in its natm^e, 

 true, but possessing a delicacy of tints and 

 grace that few flowers have. Its tiny seeds 

 require no covering, but give the seedlings 

 space, and you can cut the morning bud to 

 ('ccorate your sittingroom, and feast your eyes 

 in the evening sun on its fellows in the 

 border. 



The old-fashioned annual Lupins, give much 

 pleasure to those who love a stiff but fragrant 

 flower. The annual Chrysanthemums have 

 many virtues, and certaTnly a great range of 

 colouring, with an additional claim to being a 

 valuable cut flower for house decoration. 



There are many other subjects Avorthy of 

 notice, but the columns of Irish Gardening 

 nrc limited, and the few hints given above may 

 jirove sufficiently useful to those who have a 

 si)are border to give to those fascinating but 

 humble members of the flower garden. 



In the south, we find many of the half- 

 hardy annuals submitting to the treatment of 

 the liardy ones ; and I have had reason often 

 to bless the self-sown autumn seedling who 

 v intered unseen to steal a two or three months' 

 march on his April-sown brother. But these 

 cases are exceptions, and the beaten track of 

 the old-tried gardener is the safest one to 

 pursue — viz., spring sowing in a well-treated 

 soil, in dry condition, and giving each plant 

 suflicient room to develop its form. 



A. F. Pearson. 



March Flowering Irises* 



Although the winds of JMarch are often harsh 

 and cold, yet the sun heat is considerable, and , 

 not a few plants from warmer regions are , 

 coaxed into flower. Among these, the Irises, < 



known to botanists as Junos, are conspicuous, ' 



These are bulbous Irises, distinguished among 

 their fellows by the small standards, and they 

 vary in height from a few inches to a foot and 

 over. The taller varieties are prominent at 

 the time of writing — viz., March 8th — and 

 among others. Iris bucluirica may be men- 

 tioned. This has golden yellow falls, and j 

 small, white standards. Somewhat similar, 

 but with larger flowers, is I. orclnoidcs, of a 

 rich yellow. /. sindjarensis, on the other hand, 

 is pale blue, and a very satisfactory plant, 

 growing freely and flowering annually. 



/. Warleijensis is a striking species, distinct 

 in colour from any of the others. The falls 

 at their widest part are deep violet in colour, 

 and the standards of the same hue, while on 

 the falls yellow and white enter into the colour 

 scheme, the whole forming a striking com- * 

 bination, 



/. siiid-pcrs, a hybrid between I. sind- 

 jarensis and /. persica. The latter, a dwarf 

 Juno, is one of the most charming of Irises. 

 The hybrid was described in Irish Gardening 

 of October, 1910, by I\lr. F. G. Preston, of 

 Cambridge Botanic Gardens, to whom we are 

 indebted for the accompanying photograph. , 



The flowers are large, bright blue in colour, • 



and, as the illustration shows, produced 

 freely. 



All these Irises rejoice in good, loamy, well- 

 drained soil, in a hot, sunny position, where 

 the bulbs will become well ripened during 

 summer and after the leaves have died down. 

 When planted on the Eock Garden they 

 should, therefore, have a pocket of good soil, 

 sharplv drained, and facing the sun. 



^ -^ B. 



