May 1,—The Banksian Rose (Rosa Banksiae) is now making a fine show on many pergolas and harbours, This non-prickly Chinese climber produces stems of great length and masses of double white or yellowish flowers. The flowers are small and slightly fragrant. The double white form was introduced into Europe by a namesake of ours in 1807 and it was named in honour of Lady Banks, whose husband, Sir Joseph Banks, was a great patron of botany and horticulture. The first plant introduced is said to be still growing at Isleworth. We saw a "Banana" shrub in flower the other day: it was hidden away in a shrubbery, but it was impossible to pass it by unnoticed; the scent of its flowers was so strong. This shrub is known botanically as Michelia fuscata, it is a native of China and the flowers are of a brownish yellow colour, edged with a thin carmine line; they are a little over one inch in diameter and exhale a very strong banana-like fragrance. There cre many Deutzia gracilis plants to be seen in full flower these days, this is probably the best of the Deutzias, it is certainly the most graceful and attractive, It is a Japanese shrub and as its pure white flowers ate produced in great abundance in racemes along the slender stems, the plants are most attractive when in flower. There are many other deutzias grown here but the one in fower is a low-growing shrub and ideal for planting on mounds or along the banks of a pond. Hybrid Tea roses are commencing to flower: there are some very pretty varieties to be seen here and there despite the hot weather which we are experiencing: the sun bleaches many of the blooms and although it is ripening the wheat and barley in the country, we could do with some rain to help newly-laid turf and many of the recently transplanted trees: we notice that many of the shallower creeks are drying up; but May is here and we are expected to pick our flowers while holding an umbrella in one hand during this month, so we may shortly get more rain than we need.. x. 8
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.