66 



IRISH GARDENING. 



ing subjects for massing- in beds or for groups 

 in the shrubbery. This genus is a large one, 

 and is still being added to. B. aquifolitini 

 (Mahonia) is evergreen, and bears spiny leaves 

 and yellow flowers ; there are several good 

 varieties of this species. Berberis steiiophyUa has 

 small leaves on long, 

 slender branches which 

 are clothed in spring 

 with sweet-scented, gol- 

 den-yellow flowers. B. 

 Darwinii has larger 

 leaves, is stiff'er in habit, 

 and grows taller. The 

 flowers of B. Darvoinii 

 are very beautiful, being 

 deep orange coloured. 

 Other fine sorts are B. 

 nmbi/ica/a, with hand- 

 some foliage and the 

 young branches bright 

 red ; B. enipefrifo/ia, 

 dwarf, and suitable for 

 edging, and B. IVi'/soncF, 

 a fine dwarf species from 

 China suitable for the 

 rock garden or for the 

 front of a shrubbery. 



Of spiraeas one has 

 already been mentioned, 

 viz., S. thunbergi ; other 

 good sorts flowering in 

 spring, through summer 

 and autunm, are Spircect 

 argiita, S. prunifolia fl. 

 pi. S. discolor, S. tri- 

 lobata, S. lindleyana, S. 

 Aitchisoni, S. Douglasi, 

 and S. japoujcd, &c. 



Of honeysuckles {Loiii- 

 cera) there are numer- 

 ous bush forms of merit, 

 such as Z. Albcrti, L. 

 depressa, L. syringanfha, 

 L. tatarica, and many 

 others of climbing or 

 rambling habit. 



Of diervillas {Wci- 

 gelid), deutzias and phila- 

 delphuses much might be 

 written. Of the first 

 named there are white, 

 pink, deep red and 



yellow flowered forms. Deutzias give us pink 

 and white - flowered sorts, while the phila- 

 delphuses are white or, in some, very pale 

 straw-coloured. 



The escallonias yield many fine displays, and 

 although not hardy everywhere there are some 

 localities near the sea where they prove a 

 feature. E. exoniensis, E. illinita, and E. 



pliilippiana have white flowers, while E. langley- 

 cnsis has pink or pale red and E. punctata and 

 E. rubra and E. niacrantha have^red flowers. 



Many other genera contribute to the beauty 

 of our gardens, but within the limits of these 

 notes it is impossible to mention even a tithe of 

 the species and varieties 

 available. The rose 



family alone contains 

 species enough to form a 

 large garden, while 

 another might be formed 

 of plants of the heath 

 iamily. 



Apart from flowering 

 shrubs, as the term is 

 usually understood, there 

 is a vast array of orna- 

 mental foliage shrubs, 

 others with ornamental 

 fruits, and still others 

 with brilliant coloured 

 stems. These and many 

 others may be more 

 fittingly and more fully 

 dealt with in future issues 

 if space be available. 



Roses. 



By O'DoNEL Browne, m.d. 



THE rose season that is 

 fast passing- away has, 

 on the whole, been a 

 favourable one, and it is well 

 that it was so jfood, because 

 one can more confidentially 

 recommend some of the newer 

 roses which were tried. The 

 heat of July sorely tried the 

 lastiiiif qualities of some, but 

 there were others which were 

 not fleeting- in their habits. 

 Perhaps if I name some of 

 the newer varieties I have 

 tried this year and g-ive a 

 few remarks on each it will 

 let leaders see what results 

 I have obtained. 



Mtiie. Melanie Soitpert. — A 

 good g-rower, sturdy and 

 strong-. The flower is larg-e ; 

 petals shell-shaped and very 

 massive ; colour a warm pink 

 in the bud-stag-e, which 

 fades with ag-e. A g-rand 

 rose. 

 A fine. Constant Soiipert. — This is a Tea which is soon 

 expected to rival Comtesse de Nadaillac. Unfor- 

 tunately the vendor of the plants sent me " Melanie" 

 instead of " Constant," but he sent one true plant oi 

 the latter. Growth vigorous, thorny, dark red in 

 colour. Flowers a glorious yellow, bud long and 

 pointed ; a good laster, and a fine exhibition rose. 



Yvonne Vacherot. — Very longf tapered bud of ligrht 

 pink in early stagfe, fadingf to white with ag-e. Growth 

 fairly vig-orous, not nearly as strongf as the two 



Spir.^a Canescens. 



