THE NEWER AUBRIETIAS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21538, 9 January 1932, Page 3

THE NEWER AUBRIETIAS

The most popular of all rock garden plants, aubrietias are second to none where broad drifts of spring colour are desired. They have won a general esteem by reason of their extraordinary prolificacy in flowering, their splendid vigour, ease,of culture, and wonderful range of charming hues. These colours are so sympathetic one with another that they will blend with gracious harmony even when mixed, but an appealing method of treating aubrietias in the mass is that of colour sequences, lavenders running in blues, blues to violets, pinks to crimson, and so on. But while one can hardly go wrong with such adaptable plants as these, most rock gardeners may prefer to break up the colour groups by using such admirable foil plants as the golden alyssums, arabis, iberises, and the like. On the other hand, many of the aubrietias are such choice plants, with an individuality of their own, that one may grow them as single specimens, and for this there is much to be said when dealing with varieties of marked distinction and merit. Personal tastes must decide such matters as these, but, in passing, I may add the reminder that some of the more compact aubrietias make first-rate edging plants, and that brilliant spring effects can be derived from using them in association with bulbs.

Aubrietias prefer a somewhat cool site and soil, one that docs not get_ the full noonday sun, and while they delight in a limestone root run, they are willing to do equally well in any other soil that is gritty and well drained. I find that the majority of the newer sorts, owing to their size of blossom and the immense crop of bloom they produce, enjoy rather better treatment than many of the older ones, and no rock plants more fully deserve it. But to what extent one should enrich the ground for them depends largely upon the nature of the medium with which one is dealing. Generally speaking, I would add to any soil that is meagre and excessively stony some good turf loam, mixed with a dash of really old manure, and some broken mortar rubble. In view of such an array of named varieties as this article and hardy plantsmen’s catalogues offer, it will be readily understood that aubrietias are easily raised from seeds. The named kinds do not, however, come true by this method, and, as seedlings take up as much room as named sorts, wc strongly advise the growing of the latter. Propagation by

other means is not difficult. Cuttings root freely inserted in semi-shade, after the flush of spring flowering is over; while if straggling plants have their stems bedded in light, sandy soil, they will Toot into it, and can be broken up into many parts later. During the last few years a number of new aubrietias have appeared in the lists, and I propose to give here a selection of these broadly grouped according to colour. Many of them are not novelties, but, in the main, they are fresh to most of us, as compared with the old and Dr Mules, Lloyd Edwards, Fire King, and their contemporaries. Pink to Rose.—Commencing, with_ the pinks, the finest in this section is Gloviqsa, with clear rosy-pink flowers of great size, produced with abounding profusion. This novelty has won both an Award of Merit and cultural awards at Wisley. Rosea splendens, which has been granted similar honours, is of a slightly deeper shade, large in flower, and very prolific, and Lissadeli and Riverslea Pink are compact growers, free bloomers, and admirable for massed planting. Attraction is a charming palg pink of delicate shade, which seems to be usurping the place of Bridesmaid, and I like the novelty. Maurice Prichard, which is as robust as Gloriosa, with big but paler blossoms, whose pink is tinged with just a share of mauve. Souvenir de Wm. Ingram is a favourite that has been with us several years now, and is quite one of the best. The flowers are of good size and of a pleasing pink shade. Rose to Crimson and Red.—ln these the novelty, Magnificent, earns its name by being one of the best of reds. Its large flowers are deep and velvety in tone, with a brown eye. Russell’s Crimson is even richer in colour, and the same may be said of Crimson King, which is much like Fire King. Fire King Improved is a more compact grower than the old one, and equally good in colour, and then we have in the new Russell Vincent one of the finest crimson-reds ever raised, taking size and shape of flower, as well as tint, into consideration. All of these stand the sun well, and are varieties of the front rank. As a madder-crimson variety Vindictive still holds its place, its colour being good and it gives a very long blooming season. Among other good crimsons are Crimson Queen, the ruby-tinted Crimson Gem, and the almost blood-red Mars.

Purple, Violet, and Mauve. —Carnival, which won an Award of Merit a year or so ago, and Magician, a Wisley production, must take a prominent place among aubrietias of the richest hue. The former, with well-rounded flowers an inch across, is a singularly fine variety, the colour being an intense violet-purple of a most sumptuous shade, while the latter excels in the brilliance and depth of its crimson-purple. J. S. Baker is also an outstanding variety, its large flowers opening a clear full-toned violet, with a white eye, and maturing to purple. In violetcrimsons Godstone is distinctly attractive, and there is much charm and distinction in the violet-amethyst H. Marshall, a very liberal and continuous bloomer. The Queen will appeal to all who like strong dyes, for her dress is a glorious Tyrian purple, and the better-known Violet Queen is very similar, but for a rather more mauvy hue. The latter has been called the “purple Vindictive,” and it certainly rivals that variety in the length of its flowering period. In red-purples Bonfire will give a good account of itself, and another wall worthy of note is Mrs E. M. Crossfield, which has much of the splendour of the old Peter Barr. Blue and Lavender. —In these and allied colours one should not overlook Daybreak, its large flowers are a pale laven-der-blue with a delicate wash of rose. Studland is a very soft lavender-mauve, with overlapping petals, and a long season, and Church Knowle rivals the excellent old Lavender in the refined grey-lavender-blue, cool and pale, of its neatly-formed .flowers. Among the newest of the blues is Triumphant, which promises to live up to its name, its colour being good, and habit rather dwarf and compact, though the blooms are large. Blue King is another of much the same description, but nearer lavender in its tint, and Miss Britten is a purple-blue of pleasing tone. The violet-blue Bridge Seedling, which runs the_well-tried Dr Mules very closely, is a variety of exceptional quality in its own colour, and the vivid blue Campbell? - also merits the notice of all who desire the best.—J., in Amateur Gardening,