lEISH GARDENING 



87 



Herbaceous Plants in May, 



Although the weather during May, at least up to 

 the 2()th, has heen far from pleasant, considerable 

 growth has been made l)y herbaceous x)hints. Hail 

 and rain, with much rougli wind, has alternated 

 with bursts of sunshine, and the nights have been 

 consistently cold. Nevertheless, numerous early 

 flowers have braved the elements and disphiyed 

 their charms as if to encoiu'age us and to remind 

 us that " every cloud has a silver lining." 



Eieimiri are at once striking and attractive, and 

 seem to herald the coming of real summer, no 

 matter what the weather may be. Their long, 

 stately spikes are wonderfully resistent to storms, 

 and although unstaked comparatively few have 

 ))een injured. E. roJuistiis and its varieties El- 

 iresininis and albiis and E. himulaicus, are now in 

 flower, and were alluded to in last month's issue. 

 Delphi mil in renvstum is the earliest l^arkspur to 

 come into flower, assisted perhaps by being 

 sheltered by a high wall behind it. Sometimes the 

 earliest varieties are not of first rank, but no com- 

 ])laint can l)e lodged against venustum. Of Bella- 

 donna hal)it, with ."5 feet spikes of large gentian 

 l)lue flowers, it is indeed one, of the very finest 

 varieties. 



Ciimiissidft are good May flowering lierbaceous 

 ])lants. ('. esculeiita is one of the best known, with 

 '2 feet spikes of blue flowers, and the varieties 

 liinjal Puiple and utroi-nrideii are good selected 

 forms worthy of cultivation. (\ LeicJitlini has 

 yellowish white flowers on 2 feet scajjes, and is 

 a useful variation from the blue of esculenta. (J. 

 Ciisickii, somewhat dwarfer and with blue flowers, 

 is by some thought the best. It flowers rather 

 later. All rejoice in a deep moist soil. 



Geuiiis are welcome in May, with their flowers 

 of orange, red, and yellow, and respond to good 

 treatment in the way of soil and occasional divi- 

 sion. They can be used for beds or for groups in 

 tlie front or middle of the herbaceous border, or 

 even in the open parts of shrubberies. They are 

 sun-lovers, but the colour of the flowers lasts 

 longer in half shade. 



(t. Hehlieicliii cDci-inrii in , 2 feet and over when 

 in flower, is one of the finest, with rich scarlet 

 flowers. (ieuni Eireni, a reputed hybrid, has 

 orange flowers. G. rJnlmise, Terry's Vnriefy, has 

 l)eautiful orange red flowers, and (t. inoiitaniim, 

 about a foot high, has large, bright yellow flowers. 



Pivon'ies are represented in May chiefly by the 

 single flowered species, most of them not so decora- 

 tive as the florists' varieties, though a few like 

 F. Wittinuiiiiiand and 1'. Emod'i are of consider- 

 able merit. The old-fashioned P. officinnlis has 

 still many admirers, especially the old double-red 

 and double-pink as well as the " Anemone- 

 flowered " variety. P. hi/hrida, with finely-divided 

 leaves and dark crimson flo\vers, is quite a good 

 border plant. Veionicii ijentiaiwides, with spikes 

 of pale l)lue flowers, is attractive; there is also a 

 dwarf variety suitable for the rock garden, and 

 one with darker flowers. 



Lupins, with their stately spikes, are welcome 

 in May, and now there is quite a variety of 

 colours, varying through blue, jjurple, white, pink, 

 and parti-coloured varieties. 



Libeiiia formosa and Llbertia i.riuides are two 

 evergreen herbaceous plants of the Iris family now 

 carrying numerous spikes of white flowers of much 

 beauty. In the former the spikes are stiff and 

 erect and the flowers large, l)orne close to the stem. 

 In the latter the spikes are more diffuse and the 

 flowers smaller, but borne in great profusion. 



Irises of the intermediate section are now in fine 

 form, and make a truly beautiful display. They 

 come in just as the early dwarf varieties are going 

 over and before the main display of June flowering 

 varieties is in, Among the best now flowering are 

 Chdiinunt, lilac shot with reddish purple; Fritjof, 

 l)lue and purple; In(jehor(j, large pure white; 

 (Jueeii Flavin, primrose yellow; WalhaUa, light 

 blue. 



Li/rhnis dioica fi . p]., the old double-flowered 

 Campion, is a useful border plant in May. Vary- 

 ing from a foot to 18 inches high, it bears its pink 

 flowers freely. 



Trolliuses and the double-flowered Pununeulus 

 iiconitif alius, the one yellow and the other white, 

 are bright and beautifid, and are effective when 

 planted near each other or in association; both 

 require moist rich soil to do them justice. 



The Glasnevin Rock Garden in Early 

 May. 



Approaching the rock garden at Glasnevin from 

 the northern side the first thing that strikes the 

 eye is a wonderful mass of Haheiiea rhodupnisis 

 almost completely covering a steep rocky wall. 

 With innnense leathery leaves and innumerable 

 flowers, carried gracefully on slender stems, it 

 was a striking picture. On the liigh ground above 

 the Haberleas are growing many Rhododendrons, 

 of which P. eruhescens, with clusters of pink 

 flowers, P. oreotrephes, glaucous leaves and pale 

 pink blossoms and a dwarf, twiggy bush of P. 

 iii(jro-punci(duin, with tiny leaves and small blue 

 flowers, were chiefly noticeable. At the foot of 

 the slope near the Haberleas Primula Sieholdii 

 revelled in the moist conditions, bearing freely its 

 flowers of white, and others pink, above the 

 crinkled leaves, and spearing through were seen 

 the hairy leaves enveloping the flowers of Cypre- 

 pedium spectabile. Turning to the left and 

 beginning the long slope which leads to the sum- 

 mit. Primula pulferulrnta and P. vnique were 

 at once conspicuous, with just in front a big 

 colony of the beautiful pale yellow" Auricula " 

 Alexandra, with a clump of Panunculus car- 

 juiiicus, bearing its big buttercup flowers, and be- 

 tween the two a healthy patch of (lentinna verna 

 in good flower. Here too Dodecafliean integrt' 

 folium, nine inches to a foot high, was a sheaf 

 of rosy red flowers. 



At this point the path bifurcates, leaving an 

 island outcrop in the centre. To the rignt and 

 left rise low banks of rocks meeting on both sides 

 colonies of Heath? and Rhododendrons, most of 

 the latter from China and the Himalaya. To the 

 left a fine group of Primula La Lorraine made a 

 glowing mass rosy red, and higher still Viola 

 gracilis or a seedling form tiniibled over a stone 

 bearing in profusion its dark violet flowers, and 

 contrasting ))eautifully with it, Myosotis White 

 Pearl bloomed a little lower. Beyond, ,Saxifraga 

 S. T. Wiiglif a wliite drift made a wonderful show, 

 at a distance, appearing yellowish white but 

 seemed to have a greenish tinge on closer inspec- 

 tion. Above it Pcntstemon Svouleri was fast 

 opening its light lilac flowers. Farther ahead 

 Aiibrietia Mrs. E. M. CrosfieUl was admired, 

 though we preferred a healthy, well-flowered 

 colony of Morisia hypogaii just below it. Beyond 

 this on a cool ledge Viola Sielieana, with small 

 pale blue " Violets," seemed happy. Across the 



