JuLT 13, 1912. 



THE GARDENERS* MAGAZINIi. 



533 



ROSE'" GOSSIP. 



Writing these notes at the end of June, 

 r must say it is long since I saw so many 

 and thoroughly representative a stow of 

 roses by this early date. Even many of our 

 later blooming ramblers, such ('r»m&on 

 and Blush Ramblers, alsoFclicite rorpetue, 

 with several others that seldom crme into 

 flower until the first weeks of July, are 

 already quite showy. Indeed, there wouid 

 appear to be a record season for us a'>iorg 

 these later flowering climbers and ramblers. 



Queen Alexandra, Goldfinch, T fcalia, 

 Waltham Bride, Wedding Bells, Tausend- 

 schon, Tea Rambler, Leuchtstern, Psyche, 

 Helene, Gardenia, and many others have 

 already given us their best display for this 

 season. Among the most charming of all 

 with me is American Pillar. I do not le- 

 member it so bright, even among the beau- 

 tiful examples seen in pots from time to 

 time. Doubtless the cooler and fairly moist 

 atmosphere has much to do with the in- 

 tensity of colour in many roses, and this is 

 very noticeable among the yellows with the 

 charming orange and metallic copper shades 

 now prevalent among a number of Teas and 

 their hybrids ; many of which have quite 

 surpassed themselves during the past two 

 or three weeks. 



The glorious blendings found in Theresa, 

 Souvenir de Stella Gray, Theresa Bevan, 

 Souvenir de Catherine Guillot, Marquise dc 

 Sinety, Arthur R. Goodwin, Mrs. A. R. 

 Waddell, Canarienvogel, Lyon Rose, 

 Duchess of Wellington, Hugo Roller, 

 Jacques Vincent, Lady Pirrie, Mrs. Aaron 

 Ward, Prince de Bulgarie, and Sunburst 

 will long remain in my memory. The deep 

 yellows of Harry Kirk, Miss Alice de 

 Rothschild (a yellow that has risen as high 

 in my estimation as any of recent years ; 

 instead of paling, this is intensified as the 

 blossoms age)^ Senateur Mascurand, Bil- 

 liard et Barri Le Progress, Jean Coey, and 

 Madame Pol Varin-Bernier have been more 

 than usually clear. 



Our maidens, both upon dwarfs and stan- 

 dards, have greatly inten-sified these 

 shades, which are seen to the best advan- 

 tage by reason of clean bronzy foliage that 

 has been made since the cold snap that 

 caught much of the earlier growths upon 

 cut-backs. I have seldom seen the maidens 

 looking better, and in the case of most 

 varieties they promise to continue good for 



a long time. 



With the advent of so many good-habite<l 

 and constitutioned Teas and their crosses, 

 we have many maidens that simply improve 

 as the season advances, both in size of 

 plants and production of flower. So many 

 of the older roses gave us one or two good 

 spurts of blossom, and only a scanty show 

 between, not even that in several instances ; 

 and the continuity of flowering is a strong 

 point in favour of what I may perhaps be 

 allowed to call oui modern roses. We seem 

 to have reached the height of perfection 

 in this class, and among the -dwarf polyan- 

 thas ; so much so that anything must indeed 

 be good to surpass three or four dozen 

 varieties that will readily occur to all rose 

 lovers. A. Piper. 



THE WATER GARDEN. 



A rock garden is hardly complete without 

 water in some form or other. Of course, 

 it is not an essential feature, although it 

 must be admitted that a suitable poo!, en- 

 riched with choice water lilies, or a bog-bed 

 bedecked with aquatics, or a leaping, rush- 

 ing torrent of water dancing fantastically 

 from rock to rock like a cascade of dia- 



as 



mondSj 

 scenes. 



lends adornment to Nature^s 

 There are manv of these water 

 gardens in different parts of the country, 

 and the riotous growth of the different 

 species of aquatics is a delightful aspect to 

 every garden lover. They form a part of 

 almost every wild garden, w^hether the 

 water be obtained by artificial or natural 

 means. The smallest streamlet may be 

 diverted or otherwise adapted so as to sup- 

 ply water for the garden scheme, or it may 

 be lead in some simple manner through a 

 hollowe<l trunk, to fall into a pool near 



the pathway. 



If the side of a wide stream is available 

 where the water is always changing^ little 

 difficulty will be experienced in forming a 

 most pleasing water garden ; but apart from 

 such situations, there are numberless orna- 

 mental aquatic plants that will thrive where 

 the water is perfectly still. Even where it 

 has to be introduced artificially, and i« laid 

 on in pipeSj but a small supply can be 

 adapted to many different purposes. Speak- 

 ing practically, the water supply in the 

 majority of gardens is introduced by arti- 

 ficial me^ins^ and in this form it is cer- 

 tainly under better control than where a 

 natural spring or streamlet is the only 

 available source. Its cou 



pesfonta.inea. spinosa. — 



uninitiated a flowering example of this is 

 always an object of wonder, as the leaves 

 bear a marked resemblance to those of the 

 holly, and the blossoms are decidedly showy, 

 being tubular in shape, of a thick wax-like 

 texture, and in colour yellow, tipped with 

 scarlet. It is a native of Chili, and, like 

 niany subjects from that region, it thrives 

 best in a fairly humid atmosphere, such as 

 in the extreme west^ and in some parts of 

 Ireland, Where it will thrive it is a de- 

 cidedly handsome shrub. — W, 



can be shapo^l 



according to any particular scheme, 

 whereas a natural stream must remain un- 

 change<l, and the scheme adapted to it. 



Natural or artificial ponds are excellent 

 subjects for adornment. They may be 

 planted at the sides with suitable aquatics, 

 the most pleasing effects being gained by 

 planting thickly the promontories or those 

 portions of the bank which protrude into 

 the water, and leaving comparatively bare 

 the bays or concave portions of the bank. 

 This method has the effect of creating an 

 artificial perspective, which causes the pond 

 to appear larger than it actually is. Many 

 beautiful subjects can be introduced into 

 such situations, notably the waterside 

 irises, spirjcas, etc. The former are in- 

 variably stronger, healthier, and freer in 

 bloom when the roots are submerged below 

 water. The sides and bottoms of such 

 ponds or streams must, necessarily be made 

 permanent or secure in some manner, and 

 the best material to use is cement concrete, 

 this being in turn entirely covered by river 

 gravel and pebbles at the bottom and rocks 

 or grassy banks at the sides. 



In planting water lilies and all species of 

 nymphfeas or other aquatics in such situa- 

 tions, the usual plan is to build small pla- 

 teaus of loose stones, filling up with soil 

 to a depth of about fifteen inches below 

 the water level. Sometimes the lilies are 

 sunk in baskets to the same level. The 

 waterside plantings must not approach any. 

 thing of the nature of garden order or sys- 

 tem, where rows or borders are set out with 

 To the the particular subjects in almost mathe- 



If such an effect is 



matical precision, 

 created, even to the slip;htest semblance of 

 a flower border, it should be immediately 

 destroyed by planting quite close to the 

 edge, and between the perennial under- 

 growth. One striking example of waterside 

 beauty is a mass of self-sown Primula 

 rosea ; another can be secured by surfacing 

 a bog-bed or space by the side of a pool 

 with the feathery spirrens, or yellow and 

 purple irises. 



Now, 

 water, one 

 considerable amount 



regards 

 needs to 



of 



the 



fall 



of 



anything 

 st ruction. 



exercise a 

 care to avoid 

 approaching artificial con- 

 There must be higher ground 

 beyond the cleft in the rocks whence the 

 ter apparently emerges, so as to give 

 the effect of a natural supply at a higher 

 elevation. Otherwise, if the water is intro- 

 duced by means of a pipe placed at the 

 highest part of the ro<Pkwork, an un- 

 natural and ugly effect will be created. 



For planting in ponds, where the water 

 is comparatively deep, the hardy water 

 lilies in white^ crimson, pink, and yellow 

 are the most suitable. The Cape Pond 

 Weed (Aponogeton distachyon) is also a use- 

 fid subject J and among others are the 

 Water Soldier (Stratiotes aloides)^ Villarsia 

 Humboldtiana, and V. nymphoides. Suit- 

 able aquatics for shallow waters include 

 Acorus Cala mus, Typha minima, and T. 

 dealbata (bull rushes), Calla palustris, 

 Thalia dealbata, Butomus umbellatus, scir- 

 pus in variety, Arum italicum. Sagittaris 

 sagittifolia, Menyanthes trifo^iata. Typhi 

 augustifolia, and Ponto<leria cordata. 



The most suitable aquatics for bog-beds 

 or for the waterside are the Japanese 

 irises, especially varieties of I. Knempferi ; 

 the American irises might also bo used with 

 advantage, and of this type many charming 

 colour gradations are to be found in I. 

 virginica, I. keresina, I. Hansoni, and I. 

 Fosteri. Apart from these wo have the 

 Siberica group of irises^ T. orientalis, T. 

 Blue King, I. Snow Queen, and I. Baxteri ; 

 I. setosa, I. axirea, and I. pseud-acnrus (Bas- 

 tard Acorus). Carex pendul^i hthI C. 

 riparia, Juncus cffusus spiralis, and J. 

 zebrinus, doflecatheon in variety, Funk a 

 Sieboldiana, Caltha palustris, fl. pl.— all 

 these are suitable for bog-be<ls, and espe- 

 cially for sunny positions. In the shady 

 spots, the following may be plante<l: Pri- 

 mula japonica and P. sikkimensis, Merten- 

 sia virginica^ Saxifrage peltata, Podophyl- 

 lium Fmodi, Bergenia cordifolia, Cypripe- 

 dium spcctabi'e, and C. pubescens^ Orchis 

 foliosa, and Saxifrage Fortjnei. 



Further, to create a bold appearance bv 

 the waterside, Gunnera manicata, with ]ts 

 largo parasol-shaped leaves, is useful, as 

 also is G. scabra, with huge rhubarb-like 

 leaves. Rheum Emodi and other sorts are 



among others well 

 adapted for similar purposes are Arnndo 

 Donax (ribbon jrrass, painted grass, or 

 ladies' laces), Clielone barbata (-scarlet, 

 bearded), C. glabra (white, smooth). C. 

 Lyoni (purple), Inula Helenium (or Ele- 

 campane, which furnishes the Vin d'Aulnee 

 of the French), Liatris pvcncstachya (dense, 

 spiked). Meconopsis Wallichi, Osmunda re- 

 galis (the Poyal Fern), Senecio japonicus, 

 Spirjea gigantea, S. lobata-, S. venusta, and 

 Strnthiopteris germanica. 



Very dwarf plants for bog beds or for 

 the waterside include Cardamino trifolia, 

 Dondia epipactis, Dryas Drummondi. D. 

 Lanta, Primula rosea crandiflora. Lysi- 

 machia nummularia ; while for shadv si>ots 

 the following are preferable : Fpigaa 

 repens, Galax aphylla. Gentiana bivarica, 

 Linnfea borealis, ' Polyala Chamtebnxus, 

 Sninea filioendula. and Si 



also valuable, and 



virgi 



J C. N. 



Heuchera sanguinea Walkeri. 



—While all the heucheras are very pretty, 

 there are, to mv mind at least, too many with 

 flowers of an undecided tint, while in some 

 cases at least they do not bl<x>ni as freely afl 

 one would like. The variety at the head of 

 this note (Walkeri) I take to ])e one of the 

 best of all, the blossoms l>eing large, and of 

 an intense rich crimson colour, while they 



are borne in considerable profusion —W. 



