March 9, 1912. 



THE 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



195 



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VERONICA HULKEANA* 



This is certainly the most beautiful of 

 all the shrubby veronicas. Like the 

 majority of the family, it is a native of 

 ^ew Zealand, where it is found in the 

 mountainous districts. It was introduced 

 into this country in 1865, but, in spite of 

 its loveliness, is seldom met with, even in 

 the highly favoured south-western coun- 

 ties. In the late spring a plant such as 

 that shown in the accompanying illustra- 

 tion, which occupied a wall space of 7ft. in 

 height and 8ft. in breadth^ is a most beau- 

 tiful picture, )>eing covered from its highest 

 point to the ground-level with long, 

 branching flower-panicles of a delicate 

 lavender colour. If left to itself, the plant 

 will form a loose-growing bush, but it pre- 

 sents a more attractive picture when grown 

 against a wall, the wall being also valuable 

 for the ad<litional protection it affords the 

 plant. When cultivated in this manner it 

 is a charming sight at the close of the 

 , isM- month of May, when its countless bh:)om- 



sprays, many of them from 18in. to 2ft. in 

 length, standing out from the wall, and 

 slightly drooping, form a cloud of delicate 

 lavender colour, at once attracting the at- 

 tjention and exciting the admiration of 



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It is totally distinct in appearance from 

 all other shrubby veronicas, and far ex- 

 ceeds the most ornamental of these in 

 loveliness^ surpassing them in the gra»"o of 

 its long, branching flower-panicles. A 



large plant will often bear as many as 

 two hundred flower-sprays. Veronica 

 Hulkeana is frequently reported to be very 

 tender, but it has proA'ed hardier than 

 many others of the shrubby section, these 

 having been badly injured by frost in a 

 garden where Veronica Hulkeana is grown ^ 

 while the latter was quite unharmed, and 

 for this reason it Mould be well to try it 

 in the open on south walls, anywhere in the 

 warmer localities. The cause of its hav- 

 ing gained a character for tenderness is 

 doubtless owing to the fact that large 

 plants, and in some cases even young ones, 

 sometimes die off in an ^unaccountable 

 manner. The death of the plants is some- 

 times attributed to the strain of flower 

 and seed production, but a plant only 2ft. 

 in height, which bore but half a dozen flower 

 sprays, died suddenly, and large specimens 

 have flowered and borne seed year after 

 year in perfect health,only to succumb even- 

 tually. With the possibility of this sudden 

 collapse in their minds, possessors of fine 

 examples are naturally on tenter-hooks 

 lest their fa vourite should show signs of 

 failinnr vigoiir, for the loss of a large plant 

 of th s veronica deprives the garden of one 

 of its most beautiful objects in the latter 

 days of May, and many years must elapse 

 fj^'fore a small plant can attain large pro- 

 portions. If the flower-s])ravs were cut 

 •nmiediately they reached their prime, the 

 drain of seetl-bearing woiihl be spared the 

 plant, but even this coukl not ensure its 

 fontmued health. 



Cuttmgs from four to six inches in 

 '^ngth. taken off with a heel in the early 

 siunmer. strike readily, and plants may 

 also be rai.sed from seed, but it takes a long 

 timo for a cutting or seedling to rival the 

 Pro].ortions of a fine specimen which has 



However, plants are pretty, even in 

 their early .stages of growth, and thev com- 

 niPnre to flower when quite small In the 

 coKler districts Veronica Hulkeana makes 

 ^ most charming greenhouse plant. With 

 egarfl to the tenderness of this veronica 

 '^^^^ ex])erienced exceptionally 



weather for this district, 12 degrees 



of frost being registered. Very many ten- 

 der plants have been killed outright, but 

 Veronica Hulkeana is unhurt, not even a 

 leaf showing the slightest sign of damage. 



Wyxdham Fitzherbert. 



Kingswear. 



LACHENALIAS. 



The lachenalias, or Cape Cowslips, as 

 they are sometimes termed, are charming 

 plants for the greenhouse , where they 



pretty, notably the well-known Lachenalia 

 tricolor, and the quaintly-coloured Lache- 

 nalia pendula. One of the finest exhibits 

 of th*s last that has ever come under my 

 observation was contributed by Messrs. 



Sutton and Sons, of Residing, to the first 

 meeting this year of the Royal Horticul- 

 tural Societv. 



Complaints are by no means infrequent 

 that lachenalias do not always prove a suc- 

 cess, and this is, I think^ chiefly to be attri- 

 buted to the rough treatment they some- 



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XEJIONICA HULKEANA. 

 A graceful shrub with lavender-blue flowers 



flower during the winter and early spring 

 months. A great number of garden forms 

 have Ijeen raised within recent years but 



■ -r— — - — — B 



one of the best of all is Nelsoni. with rivh 

 golden-amber coloured blassoms. It is by 

 no means a novelty, but for all that it is a 



times have to undergo. When the flower- 

 ing season is ])ast. they should be looked 

 after as <'arofullv as t>efore, and not stuck 

 urKlcrncatli stages or in any out-of-the-way 

 ])lace. When totally <loriiiant thoy should 

 be kept quite drv ; a frame is a good 



very l>eautiful form, and, furthermore, of for them till August, when they must be 



ood 



Some of the original species are also very repotted 



