430 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE, 



June 8, 1912. 



AUBRIETIAS, 



Few plants possess higher qualities for 

 rock garden adornment than aubrietias, 

 and few, if any, produce such an effective 

 and striking display of colour during late 

 spring and early summer. Seen from a dis- 

 tance, a large drift is simply a display of 

 colour, the flowers being produced in such 

 abundance that the foliage is almost hid- 

 den. One great point in their favour is 

 that they adapt themselves to the shady 

 parts of the rock garden as well as to the 

 sunny position-s. The flower^s are not so 

 numerous when the plants are grown in 

 the shade, but the foliage has a richer ap- 

 pearance than when growing in full sun. 



It is always advisable to plant the variety 

 Dr. Mules in a shady or half-shady spot, 

 for the colour is much better in such a 



The young soft growths, which are pro- 

 duced when the flowering season is over, 

 will b© found the most suitable material 

 for cuttings. The^e should be about an inch 

 or an inch and a-half long and prepared in 

 the ordinary way. Pots or pans filled with 

 clean sand are most convenient for rooting 

 the cuttings in, and they should be placed 

 in a close cold frame, which must be kept 

 shaded until root action commences. When 

 the cuttings have made a fair amount of 

 roots they should be put singly into 

 small pots, and given cold frame treatment 

 thi'ough the first winter. During the fol- 

 lowing spring they may be put into larger 

 pots, with the idea of growing them until 

 good-sized examples are obtained, which, 

 when planted in their permanent positions, 

 will produce an effective display. 



Another method of cultivation is to plant 

 out the vouno; stock into raised nursery 



produced in great abundance. 



Fire King 



gives the best results when grown in a 

 sunny position, and it is the most brilliant 

 red of all the aubrietias ; Lavender is one or 

 the newer varieties, with pale lavender 

 flowers, opening somewhat later than many 

 of the older kinds ; Leichtlini varies con- 

 siderably in colour, but when a good form is 

 obtained, the flowers are bright crimson- 

 Moerheimi has beautiful rcse-coloure<i 

 flowers, of a large size, but, unfortunately 

 it is not such a fast grower as one miglit 

 wish it to be ; Prichard's Al is rather late 

 in flowering, and has large, violet flowers; 

 Souvenir de W. Ingram has a splendid 

 habit, and is of rapid growth, th© rose- 

 coloured flowers being very fine, with bold, 

 rounded petals. Now that the plants are 

 in bloom they should be studied, and notes 

 made for future reference. 



Gnaton Gardens. 



E. C. POOLEY. 



AUBEIETIA DELTOIDEA LAVENDER. 



A distinct and beautiful variety with lavender-coloured flowers. The fine example herewith illustrated is growing in the rock garden 



at Kew. 



position than it is when exposed to the hot 

 rays of the sun. Cultivation is very simple, 

 for aubrietias will accommodate themselves 

 in any ordinary garden soil of a light cha- 

 racter. Early autumn is the jnost suitable 

 time to plant aubrietias, so that they may 

 become fully established before the winter 

 sets in. The finest effects are obtained when 

 the plants are grouped in masses or drifts ; 

 an irregular stream of colour commencing 

 at the top of a mound of rockery and com- 

 ing down unbroken to the base makes a 



pleasing picture. 



Regarding the propagation, this can be 

 effected by sowing seeds or by cuttings. 

 Raising plants from seeds is much the 

 easiest method, yet when dealing with 

 named varieties, it is necessary to propa- 

 gate by cuttings to obtain a true stock. 

 Seed saved from the choice varieties and 



beautiful 



ediately 



uces 



beds, instead of repotting, and excellent 

 plants are obtained in this way. The one 

 advantage of pot-grown plants is that they 

 may be planted at any time, whereas when 

 they have to be lifted from the open ground 

 it must be done in early autumn. 



Apart from rock garden cultivation, the 

 auJbrietias are desirable plants for spring 

 bedding, and may be effectively used for 

 carpeting and etlging. They also adapt 

 themselves to wall gardening, and large 

 patches in flower on the top of an old wall 

 make pleasing pictures, as these pages have 



shown. 



The two variegated forms, argentea and 

 aurea, are highly appreciated for the 

 colouring of the foliage, which provides 

 colour after the flowers are past. Brides- 

 maid is a very fine variety of a soft blush 

 colour; Campbelli is violet, with a com- 

 pact habit of growth ; Dr. Mules is still one 

 of the best, the rich purple flowers being 



Arum The Godfrey.— This variety 



presents one of those striking anomalies that 

 frequently occur in gardening, for, wherpa> 

 the type plant Eichardia sethiopica is ex- 

 tensively grown in practically every ga^deu. 

 its merits are quite s»econd-rate to the variety 

 under notice. In The Godfrey the spatheN 

 are much whiter and more expanded than 

 in the ty|)e; while the plant is dwarf^'i'- 

 blooms earlier, and produces a greater num- 

 ber of spathes, quite a distinct feature 

 the manner in which the succession is main- 

 tained. When grown side by side in quan- 

 tity, the superiority of the variety is 

 well defined, that once its merits is recos:- 

 ni&ed, the type plant will not long be enter- 

 tained in the same collection. Like the coni- 

 mgn B. sethiopica, it revels in a rich com- 

 post with an abundant supply of moisture. ^ 

 find, however, that the best results toUov/ 

 from a restricted root run, as tne 

 spathes always come the most freely once 

 the roots have thoroughly taken possession 

 of the soil.— T. 



