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other peat loving shrubs, one of which is the pretty Daboecia 

 polifolia, sometimes called St. Dabeoc's Heath, and found 

 wild in Ireland. 



Several plants of SpireaThunbergii are distributed about this 

 garden. This is a low growing shrub bearing tiny white flowers 

 along its branches in early spring, with narrow leaves of pale 

 green colour. It is very useful on account of its early flower- 

 ing and for its pretty sprays of tinted foliage in the autumn. 

 It must not be confounded with Astilbe Thunbergii which is 

 often called Spirea in error and is a widely different plant. 

 A pretty picture may be seen by standing near the plant of 

 Cornus mas variegata, previously mentioned and looking to- 

 wards the group of Birch trees on the N.E. side of the garden; 

 this is at its best in April and May when the plants on the 

 rockwork are in flower ; on the grass extending naturally from 

 the rockwork is a large bed of Cornish Heath Erica vagans 

 which grows vigorously here and is especially valuable for 

 the touch of colour given by its flowers in October, when 

 flowers are usually very scarce. On the rockwork a plant of 

 Olearia Haastii may be seen. This is a very useful flowering 

 shrub because it comes in bloom when most of the other shrubs 

 are over ; several specimens are distributed about the gardens. 

 It is rather tender and was severely cut by the great frost of 

 1895-96. 



Another late flowering shrub which must not be omitted 

 is Hydrangea paniculata. This opens a greenish white, gradually 

 gets whiter and then fades to pink and green ; it should be 

 cut back severely after flowering, and requires manure occa- 

 sionally in order to get large bunches of flowers. This is much 



