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Many species and varieties of Crocus are now opening their 
flowers to the sun. Amongst them are C. susianus, the Cloth-of- 
Gold Crocus, and C. biflorus, the Scotch Crocus. This genus is 
fairly well represented in our Rock Garden, with twenty-six species 
and varieties of spring crocus and twenty of the autumn blooming 
kinds. 
The non-bulbous plants are represented by Helleborus A 
a dowdy, homely relative of the exquisite “ Christmas Rose” (H. 
niger). The latter, however, has never seemed to appreciate our 
tender care and resolutely refuses to thrive. We, therefore, have 
to fall back on its ugly sister or cousin in order to have the genus 
represented, and this 1s our only, and it must be admitted, some- 
what slight justification for growing H. fawtidus. It is not neces- 
sary to offer apologies for Draba aizoides, which pleases us with 
its bright yellow flowers during this month. Like the ‘“ Christmas 
Rose” it has a host of poor relations which are nothing better than 
pernicious weeds, but it also has many aristocratic connections 
such as D. athoa, bryoides, cuspidata, Dedeana, and Kotschyi, 
which are an ornament to any rock garden. 
April 
Although April finds the rock garden still somewhat bare there 
are enough plants in bloom to give an inkling of the plethora to 
follow. Considerably over fifty species and varieties may be 
expected to display their flowers during this month including, of 
course, some hold-overs, from March. Bulbous plants are still 
much to the fore including Grape Iyacinths (Muscari botryoides 
and varieties, AJ. moschatum, M. elegans, and M. racemosum) ; 
a few tulip species, of which the most notable is Tulipa Kauff- 
manniana, sometimes called the Water-lily Tulip; Narcissus, and 
the Glory-of-the-Snow (Chionodoxa species and varieties). The 
latter are eminently satisfactory rock garden plants. They thrive 
and increase with practically no care, their flowers of various 
shades of blue, with some pink and some white forms, are cheerful 
and welcome, and they lend themselves admirably to association 
with dwarf carpeting plants. Several species and varieties are 
grown, the commonest being C. Lucilie (Tig. 8) 
