84 



1 899, and appear to be quite hardy. The following varie- 

 ties have also been tried and have succumbed to frost 

 eventually, although some of them survived mild winters and 

 attained considerable size : E. amygdalina, E. citriodora, 

 E. coriacea, E. cordata, E. crebra, E. eulophylla, E. globulus, 

 E. Gunnii, E. Lehmannii, E. longifolius, E. marginata, 

 E resinifera, E. Resdonii, E. robusta, E. Siebergii, E. ur- 

 nigera, and E. viminalis ; another variety E. ficifolia has not 

 yet had a fair trial, this bears very pretty red flowers, and is 

 said to be one of the hardiest varieties. Of the above 

 seventeen varieties E. globulus made the largest and finest 

 plants. They survived several winters with more or less 

 damage, although the roots were protected, but the winter of 

 1899-1900 killed them after they had reached a height of 

 twelve feet ; we had 22 of frost on February 8th, and a 

 great deal of snow at intervals, also other severe frosts during 

 that winter. 



Olearia illicifolia, sometimes called O. dentata is a rare 

 plant of which two specimens are included here. It is not so 

 hardy as O. Haastii mentioned on page 79, several plants of 

 which are growing in various parts of the gardens, and it 

 bears larger flowers than that variety, but does not produce 

 them so freely. Both are natives of New Zealand. 



Heaths of various kinds do well here, a bush of Erica 

 stricta at the base of the centre rockery is six feet high and 

 eight feet across ; a little to the east of this a large bed of the 

 Cornish heath Erica vagans grows and flowers very freely. 

 Interspersed among this are several plants of E. mediterranea, 

 an upright growing kind, also some plants of E. vulgaris 



