028 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



August 17, 1912, 



IV 



THE MAKING OF AN IRIS 



GARDEN. 



For a considerable period I have re- 

 peatedly urged the greater use of iris as 

 garden plants, and it is in furtherance of 

 their claims that I pen these notes. The 

 value of irises as a permanent garden fea- 

 ture must be fully apparent to all garden 

 lovers. They combine an elegance of de- 

 sign with one of tlie finest ranges of colour 

 found among hardy flowers. They em- 

 brace a great diversity in habit, require- 

 ments, and uses^ and deserve a keener, 

 closer attention generally. 



The making of an iris garden calls for 

 originality and a fair knowledge of the 

 iris species and varieties. I have note<l 

 irises grown in formal be^ls cut in the 

 greensward, but this plan I cannot com- 

 mend as th© season of the irises u^^ed is 

 so short as to render the beds practically 

 valueliN^s save just at the time of bkKSSom- 



VVhat I wish to urge is the free use 

 lany types of irises, m natural group- 

 ings, with the whole surroundings blend- 

 ing t(} make a* perfect picture, and also 

 fioc!Uring a long season of blossom. 



The late Sir Michael Foster's garden at 

 Nine Wells may be taken as a starting 

 point, and the idea given mtay be ela- 

 borated, and additional features intro- 

 duced, to make a first-class scheme. Sir 

 \fichael loved all irises, and the range of 

 species and varieties grown by him a few 

 years back reached a considerable numl>er, 

 and, furthermore, gave him a long dis- 

 play of flower," a fact which I deeire to 

 emphasise. 



At Nine Wells the plan followed was 

 to grow the irises in great natural group- 

 ings, with broad winding paths intersect- 

 ing, or running parallel with them. Ere- 

 muri and a few other bulboiis subjects 

 were grown, in conjunction with the irises, 

 and, save for a background of trees and 

 shrubs, the whole design was of the sim- 

 plest. 



From this one can develop a good idea, 

 and if one also takes into account the 

 effects obtained by the Japanese iris gar- 

 dens, then an iris garden will become a 

 popular garden feature in the near future. 

 In Japanese iris gardens Iris Keempferi 

 and its varieties provide the dominant dis- 

 play ; other irises may be used^ but only 

 as a foil or a setting to these grand forms. 

 At Hori-kiri, a winding valley, dotted with 

 tiny tea-houses, amid a waving river of 

 iris blossoms, is one of the glories of the 

 Japanese summer, and informal pathways 

 traverse the whole garden, and enable the 

 flower lover to keep in close teuch with 

 the blossoms. 



And now for the main design of a typical 

 English iris garden. It shall he situate, if 

 possible, on a broken landscape, where one 

 can secure a background of branching tree 

 growth, with gently sloping banks falling 

 to a valleyed depression. In the valley 

 shall run a stream, just broad enough to 

 show off^ the ripple of the water over the 

 pebbled base. Here in the moist richness 

 of the soil one can grow all the waterside 

 irises, such as I. aurea, I. orientalis, I. Mon- 

 nieri, I. Monfepur, I. spuria, I, Delavayi, I. 

 versicolor, and their hybrid and varietal 

 forms All the Siberian irises, with J. 

 Kseonpferi, and I. Ifevigata, and their 

 numerous varieties, should be used as well 



as I. al'bo-purpurea, and its forms ecerulea 

 and alba. 



Sloping up from the vale one can group 

 great masses of the germanicas, selecting 

 the finer forms of I. aphylla, I. pallida, I. 

 asiaticus, I. neglecta, etc., of which there 

 are so many now in cultivation. One 

 should also include Iris stylosa for its valu- 



able w^inter display ; also such gems as I. 

 cypriana, I. cristata, I. hexagona coerulea, 

 I. longipetala, and I. missouriensis. Drifts 

 of the early bulbous irises, I. alata^ I. reti- 

 culata, I. tuberosa, and many others sbould 

 be utilised, and the Spanish and English 

 irises be freely planted for making addi- 

 tional summertide displays. 



I would suggest the acquisition of a stock 

 of the best interme<liate irises (hybrids be- 

 tween the I. pumila and I. Germanics 

 groups); Dauphin, Freya, Dorothea, Sarah, 

 Ivorine, and Bosniamac are a few of the 

 many varieties. Then there are the hybrids 

 of the Oncocyclus and Regelia groups, many 

 of which are of easier cultivation than the 

 specific forms. Crosses between these 

 Cushion irises, and those of the I. pallida 

 group are especially interesting, and are 

 free in growth. 



With the iris groups I would not hesi- 

 tate to use a ibacko-round of eremuri, ris- 



NOTES FROM KEW. 



Shrubby Begfonias. 



There is always a good selection of these 

 to be met with at Kew, but just now the 

 most notable feature is the extent to which 

 they contribute towards the embellishmeiu 

 of the greenhouse. In maintaining a diti- 

 play in this structure, it is often diflScult 

 to obtain plants sufficiently tall to break 

 up those of lower growth. For this purpo^io 

 such kinds as the typical Begonia coccinea 

 B. Luzerna, B. Presidert Carnot, and 

 others are all extremely u^>efuL Of B. coc 

 cinea there is a large, bold group in the 

 greenhouse, and in this way it is seen to 

 very great advantage, the large pendulous 

 clusters of handsome scarlet flowers beinc^ 



set off by the ornamental foliage. 



The 



ing^ if possible, in front of a mass of bam- 

 boos. Groupings of selected gladioli, heme- 

 rocallis, montbretiaSj and perhaps a few 

 lilies, give other and pleasing colours at 

 times when the irises are on the wane, and 

 afford a contrast whieh is of value in the 

 garden . 



Wander-ways of stepp 

 intersect the 



groupmgs, winding in 



pleasing di/ersity, and cariying one over 



streamlet, or by the sides of the pool, A 



low rustic bridge is never out of place in 



such pieturee, and is to be desired if a 

 waterway exists. A rest-house, lightly 



built, and screened with reeds or light cane- 

 work from the full sun, with sufficient 

 openings to give a view of the irises at 

 various points, is almost essential. A 

 resting place, a tea-house, if you like, will 

 add greatly to the charm of the garden^ but 

 care should be taken to have it in harmony 

 with the garden itself. In size, formation, 



deep-toned leafage of B. Luzerna serves ad- 

 mirably as a setting to the clusters of pink 

 blossoms. 



iSome large toushy specimens, 3ft. to 4ft. 

 in height, of the variety Oorbeille de Feu, 

 serve to show this at its very hest. It 

 was raised and distributed by M. Lemoine, 

 of Nancy, about twenty years ago, and was 

 announced as the result of a cross between 

 Begonia semperflorens and B. fuchsioidos 

 miniata. Corbeille de Feu is, as a bedding: 

 plant, decidedly popular, but such large 

 speci-mens as those at Kew are seldom seen. 

 One more variety needs especial mention, 

 and that is B. carminata, which I hare 

 never before met with in such good condi- 

 tion. It is one of the Messrs. Veitch's 

 hyhride, the male parent being the Brazi- 

 lian B. coccinea, and the female the South 



In B. 



African white-flo)Wered B. Dregei. 

 caTminata, which forms a decidedhush, from 



3ft. to 4ft. higli, the colour of the flowers is 

 a clear cai-mine-pink, while, what is of con- 

 siderable importance, a succession is kept 

 And should the outer surroundings con- up for a long time. There are also several 



and design it should fit in perfectly. 



sist of a surge of tree greenery against a 

 clear sky line, the iris garden will appear 

 to greatest advantage. It gives the frame 

 to the picture, investing it with a pleasing, 

 softening influence. All else would be com- 

 prehended m the term ''good culture'' 

 (deep digging, an incorporation of suitable 

 manure, and thorough cultivation). Iris( s 

 are occasionally subject to disease, and 

 badly-infested plants ^^:ould he isolated, or, 

 better still, destroyed. Given an immunity 

 from disease, the iris garden should be a 

 thorough suoeess. P. S. Hayward. 



SEMPERVIVUM 

 ARACHNOIDEUM. 



This is sometimes known as the Cobweb 

 Houseleek, and is one of the most singular 

 of alpines. It has small rosettes of fleshy 

 leaves covered over with a dense white 

 down, which is intertwined all over the 

 leaves like a miniature spider's web. It 

 thrives in an exposed, sunny part of the 

 rockery in a position such as that provided 

 by a ledge of rock. It succeeds in a light 

 sandy loam, and when once established, 

 soon forms an attractive object. In sum- 

 mer the leaves are surmounted by pretty 

 rose-coloured flowers, carried on thick 



fleshy stems a few inches in height, and 

 the whitish foliage displays them very effec- 

 tively. The plant is propagated by offsets, 

 which should be placed singly in small pots 



cool frame for a time. Sem- 



others, hut the above include the most 

 striking. 



Clerodendron fa.llax. 



Being a native of Java, this showy clero- 

 dendron is often regarded as a stove plant, 

 but it will do well in the greenhouse during 

 the summer months ; indeed, it is at this 

 season seen to better advantage in that 

 structure than under warmer conditions. 

 A fine, bold group in the greenhouse at 

 Kew shows it noAV at its best. If kept free 

 from red spider it is a plant of easy culture, 

 and can be readily propagated by cuttings 

 or seeds. These last, however, frequently 

 germinate in a most irregular manner. 



Impatiens Herzog:i. 



This balsam, which was introduced from 

 tropical Africa a few years ago, has already 

 become an established favourite. This 

 not at all surprising, for it is a remarkably 

 showy species, and its season of bloommg 

 extends over a considerable portion of the 

 year. It is of a sturdy habit of growth, 

 with dark green foliage, and the flowers, 

 which are in the way of those of Impatiens 

 Holsti, but larger, are of a ^bright orange- 

 salmon colour, with a small violet eye. Now 

 in bloom in the intermediate portion of the 

 T range. 



Eranthemums. 



Of the members of this genus now m 

 flower in the T range two at least are 

 worthy of especial mention. The first— 



and kept m a cool frame for a time. Sem- E. Cooperi which, by the way, is also 



pervivum arachnoideum is one of the most known under the specific name of sinuatuni. 



intoresting members of the Houseleek is of a compact, freely^branched habit of 



family ; the common S. tectarum is often growth, and flowers well when not more 



seen growing on the roofs of old cottages than a foot in height. The leaves are long 



and ivalls. J . Gahdner, and narrow, with a few deeply-cut teeth on 



Batsford Park Gardens. the margin, and tinged with purple under- 



