Avmt 20, 1912. 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



H21 



AMONG THE ALPINE 



FLOWERS. 



** I have found Violets. Api il hath come* on, 

 Andi the cool winds foel softer, and the rain 

 Falls in the- beaded drops of summer time. 

 You may hear birds at morning." 



So sung Nathaniel Willis, the American 

 poet, in speaking of April, and though we 

 have long had violets, we can yet, I think, 

 enter into the spirit of his joyous notes as 

 we wander among the flowers of the time. 

 April is, indeed, one of our most delight- 

 ful months among the a]j)ine flowers, even 

 though Ave are as ^'et but on the threshold 

 of our temple of pleasure. There may yet 

 be hard times in store for our flowers. A\'in- 

 ter is not so readily defeated by the ap- 

 proaches of spring. Despite her soft woo- 

 ing, he is reluctant to yield, and so we 

 enjoy our floral treasures with some slight 

 shadow of fear upon us, lest they may be 

 cut off in the midst of their beauty. 

 Happily, however^ our alpine flowers are 

 not so tender or so frail as to be unable 

 to withstand the usual weather of the sea- 

 son, and so we delight in their loveliness, 

 even though the rockeries are white with 

 late hoar frosts on some mornings. These 

 beauties of ours can brave the changes of 

 the seasons wonderfullj', and so we take 

 pleasure in their " pleasant delites," as 

 an old writer said. Wherever we turn 

 there are bright flowers, and not only those 

 which usually open at this season are in 

 bloom, but I think there are still a larger 

 number than are wont to remain of the 

 more courageous blossoms which have 

 dared the winter months, and abide w^ith 

 us until the spring flowers call upon us to 

 admire their charms in preference to those 

 of their forerunners. There are many 

 claimants upon our notice, and so we feel 

 at a loss which to select for our apprecia- 

 tion. Many of our finest flowers have been 

 praised before, but we may yet find a 

 number of gems which call for our notice 

 at this time. 



m 



ed 



wonderful number of new primulas, either 

 novel species or hybrids recently raised. 

 Some of these are lovely things, revealing 

 to us a wide field of beauty^ and promising 

 to us and to our successors in gardening 

 many vistas of loveliness. Yet some of 

 the older hybrids and varieties deserve more 

 than a passing notice. The one, called Tlie 

 General, raised, I think, by the late Dr. 

 Stuart, of Chirnside, though I say this sub- 

 ject to correction, is one which I have 

 proved to be a more reliable plant under 

 comparatively simple treatment than 

 almost any other primula that I have 

 cultivated. It is derived from P. ciliata, 

 and IS an excellent growler, standing well 

 on the rockery without calling for any spe- 

 cial treatment, flowering freely, and giv- 

 "ig a goodly number of its deep scarlet 

 nowoi's. All it i-equires appear to be a rather 

 op^n, yet firm soil, with plenty of stones 

 about it, top-<lressing in spring, and an oc- 

 casional division. I am a little surprised 

 that it is still so scarce, and can only say 

 that It deserves the love and adtniration 

 ot many cultivators of rock plants. These 

 ciliata primulas all like a cool place, and 

 l)ost plant of The General is well shaded 

 Ironi the forenoon and afternoon sun. 



Primula Bulleyana. 



^Ir. A. K. Bulley's primula is showing 

 Tor bloom already, and it seems strange 

 ^»'at we shall probably see it in perfection 

 if gi'^Jit International Horticultural 

 J^^xjiibition, just as we have admire<l it at 

 yie lemple Shows. One has been a little 

 *»<»nl)tful of some of these Chi nese iin- 

 jjl^jlas, so fur as regar<ls their perennial 

 >*t, and hardiness under average con- 



ditions. But we need not, I think, have 

 any lingering fear even respecting Primula 

 Bulleyana. It has passed through more 

 than one winter, and is quite at home in 

 a low, damp spot in the rock garden. Un- 

 like the ciliata varieties, it is not a sasa- 

 tile species, and takes pleasure in moisture, 

 being thus a plant tor those wlio have 

 places in Avhich they can plant this and 

 other moisture-loving primulas. It is 

 truly handsome and vigorous, sending up 

 tall stems of flowers in whorls, and of a 

 fine orange and apricot colour. It is de- 

 lightful in itself, and it holds in prospect 

 treasures as yet untold, in the shape of 

 its progeny, for the lover of the pririmla. 

 W e may doff our hats to the finder of this 

 fine plant, and thank him for the benison 

 he has bestowed on all lovers of the race. 



Waldsteinia g^eoides. 



Time was wlien the writer despistxi the 

 plant known as Waldsteinia geoides, anci 

 accounted it as much less woi thy than its 

 sister flowers, W. fragarioides and W. tri- 

 foliata. But that was ere it was seen in 

 specimen form, and now he has been de- 

 lighting in one which is of consideiable 

 dimensions. It is delightful indeed this 

 April, with its little geum-like leaves and 

 its crowds of small yellow flowers, spangled 

 thickly over the foliage. It conveys a 

 lesson, i.e., not to be too ha^ty in con- 

 demning a plant, seeing that it has been 

 known to the writer for a goo<lly number 

 of years, has been cultivated in his garden 

 for a considerable time, and has been fre- 

 quently seen elsewhere. It is certainly not 

 a flower for the worshipper of size and 

 beauty in the individual bloom, but as a 

 rock garden plant, trailing over a low 

 stone in a moist place, it is not by any 

 means to be despised. But it must not be 

 a plant with a dozen or so of flowei s, but a 

 specimen which can boast of a hundred or 

 more together. It is a lover of moisture, 

 and, at least, 2^artial shade. 



Other Flowers. 



But now we must draw to a close amid 

 a galax}^ of beauties which would claim our 

 notice. There are, for example, anemones 

 galore, from the dainty A. vernalis to the 

 many varieties of our wood anemone, Ane- 

 mone nemorosa, which have found their 

 way here. A. blanda has not yet gone to 

 rest, and Mr. Ingram's dark blue one is 

 still resplendent. A. apennina is yet in 

 full glory ; A. ranunculoides, in three 

 varieties, is very bright, with its little 

 starry flowers. As for the nemorosa varie- 

 ties, who can do justice to them? Snow 

 white, palest blue, opal, purple, deepest 

 blue, wuth intermediate shades, they are 

 lovely, and fascinate us as we stand and 

 stoop to admire. Their allies, the hepa- 

 ticas of gardens, still give us a few flowers. 

 Saxifrages are delightful, and the later 

 ones bristle with blooms over their sheets 

 of moss-like verdure, or send from their 

 silvery rosettes little spikes or towering 

 plumes which are rising fast into bloom. 



Other primidas tban those mentioned are 

 in bloom, or fast nuikiiig progress. Ara- 

 bises are sheets of snowy white, aii<l aubrie- 

 tias, not yet at the zenith of their loveli- 

 ness, give us masses of colour. 



The moss pinks are bristling with buds, 

 and a page almost would be necessary were 

 we to enter fully on the flowers now in 

 flower. In bulbous plants alone there are 

 narcissi, f rittilarias, ornithogalunis, scillas 

 ■ — ^italica being now in bloom, with two or 

 three more. Tulips, muscaris, and others 

 with bull)ous or tuberous roots bear com- 

 })any with the many beauties of the time. 



Truly "the winter of our <liscontent ' 

 is past, and we are in the gloriou^s, yet 

 sweet and attractive, s|)ring — the Elysian 



])eriod of tbe lover of the alpine flowers. 



S. Arnott. 



THYMES IN GARDEN 



DECORATION. 



Tlie use of old flag-stone j^aths and dry 

 walls in gardens, so much in favour at pre- 

 sent, brings into prominence certain plants 

 that otherwise would Jiave but a limited 

 use. Of the highest utility in this direc- 

 tion are the various species and varieties 

 of thymes, many of which have the merit 

 of Ibenig exceedingly pix>fuse and (beautiful 

 when in flower, and the majority are among 

 the most delectable of scenttxl plants, the 

 fragrance of Tliymus Seri^yllum lanugino- 

 sus being remarkable for its elusive cha- 

 racter^ as it is difficult to inhale by direct 

 wntact, yet when diffustnl in tlie surround- 

 ing air, it is both powerful, and one of tlie 

 most exclusive of perfumes, appealing to 

 every taste. 



Among thymes we recognise two distinct 



types ot growths. The stems of T. Serpyl- 

 lum assume a decumbent habit, M'hile those 

 of T. vulgaris grow erect; former Jias 

 an extended use for ])lantin;^ :n the joints 

 of paved walks as the 2>i()strale stems are 

 not materially damaged b}^ being trcxlden 

 upon, while an oci-asional plant of theerert 



type, by giving <'o]itr;ist. will im'i'e;i>e I he 



general effect. 



The best kiiown cree])iMg thvim^ s T. 

 Serpyllum, a native plant that grows wild 

 in chalk districts, on sunny banks and simi- 



lar places ; of this sjiecies there are several 

 distinct varieties worthy of a place in the 

 garden scheme, such as I Inne suggested, 

 or for arid sunny spots on the rock gar- 

 den. T. S. albus is a pure white flowennl 

 form, and is easily distiiiguislied in winter 

 and spring by the vivi<l. hri^hi ^ie*'ii tint 

 of stems and le;n ( s. T. S. carnosus is 



slightly hirsute 



lh(* lea\es. which have 



are variegated » ..v, ^ 



on in( 



a slight grey tint^ while the iiowtMs a?-e 

 a bright shade of pale magenta. T. S. eoc- 

 cineus is a rich crimson lloweied \ ;iri<'i\\ 

 and is readily recognise<l in winter by tlie 

 dark purple tint of the leaves. Theie is 

 ako a form tsold as grandiflora. unich !ar<ier 

 in its parts than any of these, but equally 

 ])rofuse in flowering, the colour approach- 

 ing that of T. S. carnosus. T. S. lanugino- 

 sus is srown entirely for the sake of its 

 leaves, which are densely hoai'v. tlie jilaiit 

 forming a luxuriant nuit of grey leafage 

 that is most delicately scented. T. S. citri- 

 odorus is the Lemon-scented thyme, of 

 which there is a golden-leaved form, 

 and also a. form iu which the leaves 



white and green : tlie 

 1 atter r eta ins its coloi i r a t all s e a - 

 sons, being very bright in positions 

 where it obtains plenty of sun ; all the 

 varieties of citrifxlorus grow ere t. 



Thymus Channedrys is a distinct s])e< ies 

 that gives several desirable varieties of pros- 

 trate growth ; T. C. nunnnulariu> Is one of 

 the freest growtli, with llowi'is of n light 

 purple; T. C. moiitanus is a w 

 with much siiialler foliage than the last- 

 nanuMl : this variety succeeds hot in a 



— ^ 



<lry stone wall, with the inttMst ices hikHl 

 with soil; otherwise, in flat planting it is 

 liable to die off from damp in winter; the 

 habit of growth and rich shade of green 

 render it very distinct. 



Thymus villosus, regardtnl as a species, 

 is a dense woolly-leaAcd plant, much in the 

 way of T. S. lanuginosus, but lacking the 

 refine<l perfume of the last-nametl ; the 

 stems are quite prostrate, and the ])lant is 

 vijrorous and a reliable grower in any i)o>i- 



AU the vaiieties of thymes are 

 ])ropagated by <!ivision or cuttings; tfie 

 latter r(K>t rea<lily at any seat^on if placed 

 in a close frame, wtiile division is best car- 

 ried (Hit in spring or antutnn. 



Thomas Smitu. 



tion 



C'ooUibe Court filaidon« 



