THE SPRING FLOWER GARDEN, 



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grow them freely without much attention after they are planted ; it 

 is quite possible to grow them where limestone abounds by making 

 large beds of peat for them, but means must be taken to prevent 

 percolation of water from the surrounding soil ; apart from the expense 

 of preparation, further operations will be necessary in a few years, 

 when the peat beds become full of roots and exhausted. Mr. E. H. 

 Wilson, to whose travels we are indebted for so many new plants 

 from Western China, has sent us one or two small Rhododendrons 

 which are said to flourish in a limy soil ; perhaps by the aid of the 

 hybridist we may eventually obtain a class of large flowering varieties 

 that will be able to resist lime. 



I place the Rhododendron at the head of the list of Spring Flowering 

 Shrubs because it covers such a long season when in flower, and has 

 such great variety of form and colour. We commence with the 

 crimson form of R. Nobleanum, which usualfy gives us a few trusses 

 of bloom in December ; last winter it came much earlier than I have 

 known before, and was in full flower on Christmas Day, huge bushes — 

 many of them 6 or 8 feet high — were covered with crimson flowers. 

 The next kind to open is R. altaclerense, a stronger-growing plant and 

 deeper in colour. This does not come into full flower usually before 

 March ; R. praecox and the hybrid from it known as ' Early Gem ' 

 come about the same time. They are both of a mauve colour, and are 

 very telling when in flower after they reach a fair size. Some of the 

 Himalayan forms flower very early. R. niveum is one of the first. 

 R. campamilatum is also early ; its flowers vary in colour from white 

 to mauve, and it is a magnificent plant when in bloom, growing very 

 freely after it gets established. Some of the plants at Belvoir are 

 18 feet high. The foliage is large, and of a fine brown colour on the 

 underside. There are many of these Himalayan kinds which are 

 probably hardy in sheltered positions. Besides those mentioned above 

 we have large plants of R. Wallichii, R. Falconeri, and R. Thomsonii. 

 The last is a magnificent thing with round glaucous leaves and very 

 dark crimson flowers, quite distinct from the ordinary Rhododendron 

 in every way. Many others are on trial and some of them have 

 passed through several winters safely ; the great point when planting 

 is to get good strong plants from the open ground, and always to plant 

 in spring before growth commences : they will then have the summer 

 months to make new growth and get acclimatized. I believe many 

 fail with these Himalayan kinds because they put out poor little 

 plants that have only lately left the propagating frame. That is not 

 a fair test for them ; they will require attention during the first 

 summer if hot, dry weather comes, and if severe frost threatens to 

 come in the winter months the roots should be mulched with half- 

 decayed leaves, and some laurel boughs be placed round the plants 

 for a few weeks. 



The hybrid varieties of Rhododendrons are almost innumerable. 

 When planting it is better to select a few distinct kinds rather than 

 to purchase a general mixture. Some of the best are R. Blandianum x 



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