26 



IRISH GARDENING. 



C. Bergeroni. — This may be of garden origin, though 

 the fact is not known for certain. Of moderate growth, 

 and bearing panicles of pink flowers, C. Bergeroni is 

 well worth a good place in the garden. 



C. Hendersuni, supposed to have for its parents 

 C. viticella and C. infegrifulia, is one of the finest of all 

 clematis. The leaves are various, simple or cut, and 

 the flowers, of medium size, are rich blue in colour, and 

 somewhat bell-shaped. It is a vigorous plant, flowering 

 in summer, and for a considerable period. 



C. Jackiitanni, a well-known plant, and one of the 

 best, being the type of a popular garden group or 

 section notable for the abundance of flowers produced 

 in late summer and autumn. Free flowering, and bear- 

 ing a profusion of fine, violet purple flowers, C. Jack- 

 manni, in its season, is one of the showiest plants in our 

 gardens. 



C. intermedia, an excellent plant, bearing medium- 

 sized blue flowers in abundance, a free growing subject 

 suitable for a pergola, where it should have plenty of 

 room to extend. 



The Patens Section. — C. patens, already mentioned, 

 is the type of the spring-blooming clematis, which pro- 

 duce their flowers from ripened wood of the previous 

 summer's growth. It is the shoots from which the 

 flowers are produced that must be carefully noted when 

 pruning. With this and the following section pruning 

 should be done immediately flowering is over. Local 

 circumstances must determine how far back the shoots 

 must be pruned. The point to bear in mind is that new 

 growths must be encouraged, which, when well ripened, 

 will produce flowers the following spring. So very 

 many lovely varieties are available nowadays that one 

 refrains from giving a list of names, feeling sure that 

 reference to a reliable nursery catalogue will reveal 

 sorls to suit all. Most catalogues arrange the varieties 

 conveniently in their sections. 



The Florida Section. — The varieties of this section 

 are termed summer bloomers, flowering a month later 

 than the Patens set, and from the ripened wood in the 

 same way. Treatment may be the same, and here again 

 there is abundance of choice in the matter of varieties. 



The Jackmanni Section. — In this section the varieties 

 are again numerous, but flower considerably later. The 

 flowers in this case are produced on shoots of the 

 current season's growth. Pruning, therefore, is best 

 done in early spring, when strong, young growths will 

 soon push forth and bear abundance of flowers when the 

 early flowering Patens and Florida sections are over. 

 The climbing or trailing, more or less woody, species 

 and forms of clematis are capable of division into many 

 more sections, but the foregoing example will serve to 

 show the necessity for such division. When grouped in 

 this manner, according to mode and time of flowering, 

 the necessary treatment in the way of pruning is at once 

 apparent, and the cultivator who studies his plants is 

 able to obtain grand effects. 



The Herbaceous Section. — The species and varieties 

 of this section are usually found in the herbaceous 

 border, and make a charming display when well grown. 

 C. integrifolia, from Eastern Europe, is a fine, blue 

 flowered species, attaining three feet in height. The 

 flowers are rather large and nodding, and the leaves 

 entire. C. integrifolia Durandi has much larger flowers, 

 and is a very handsome variety. C. recta, with scented 

 white flowers and its charming double variety, are 

 excellent border plants. 



Numerous other species and varieties mig^ht 

 be mentioned which add to the interest of this 

 charming genus, but one cannot try the editor's 

 patience unduly. Most of the species and some 

 of the varieties mentioned will be found in the 

 clematis collection in the Royal Botanic 

 Gardens. 



As to soil, a well-drained, but not dry, medium 

 with plenty of heart in it, will suit well. A 

 poor soil should be enriched with well-decayed 

 manure. If the soil is light and inclined to be 

 hot, cow manure is preferable. 



If nurserymen could see their way to supply 

 plants on their own roots less would be heard 

 about clematis " going off." 



Roses. 



By O'DONEL BROWNE, M.D. 



HEN visiting gardens 

 of any size, I generally 

 noticed that the planter 

 or owner has made 

 some attempt to group 

 each individual colour 

 into one particular bed, 

 so as to give a greater 

 contrast to beds on 

 either side. When you 

 visit a rose garden you 

 hardly find this line of 

 treatment carried out, 

 but annuals, &c., are 

 generally so treated. 

 Now, no flower, in my 

 opinion, lends itself more to massing than the rose, 

 and anyone who has ever seen a large bed entirely 

 taken up with one particular rose will, I think, agree with 

 me that the effect is better than by plantingyourtrees here 

 and there with a mixture of colour. It is true that you 

 want a good deal of room for this method; but why not 

 have a large number of small beds? The biggest mis- 

 take I see made is generally that the rose garden is 

 too big for the number of trees it is to hold, with the 

 I'esult that you see more bed than flower. Nothing can 

 look worse, especially should a plant die and leave a gap. 

 Again, there are some roses which will not lend them- 

 selves too well to bedding, being either too weak growers 

 or not free flowering in their habits. My ideal of a 

 massed bed should be one which is constantly in bloom 

 and well furnished all the season. This you can get by 

 planting the right sorts. If you think the bed looks too 

 formal and stiff, then relieve the level monotony by 

 planting some half-standards of the same variety here 

 and there through the bed. The bed to receive these 

 plants should be well prepared, as once planted you 

 should not disturb any trees for some years. It should 

 be literally treated to good soil and manure should your 

 ground be found poor in quality. The plants should be 

 planted at most eighteen inches from one another so as 

 to well furnish the bed. In the following spring they 

 can be cut very hard back to promote the best growths, 

 which in the following seasons will give you more bloom 

 in consequence. But beware in the following springs at 

 pruning times of pruning your beds like you see the 

 hedges cut on the roads. By this I mean you are not to 

 cut every tree to the same height as its neighbour, 

 irrespective of strength of growth, but you should prune 

 judiciously. 



Every year, however, some rods, especially the oldest, 

 should be cut right out, as a bed of trees leggy in the 

 bottom and all flowers at the top is a hideous sight, and it 

 shows you do not understand pruning. Try and fashion 

 in your mind what the bed should look like, and prune 

 accordingly. The soil should be well hoed all the sum- 

 mer, and treated now and then during the year, except 

 the first, to an odd dose of some artificial manure. Roses 

 like food, and can assimilate a good deal of proper 

 nourishment. Be careful, however, in using this food 

 that you do not let any on the foliage or you will have 



