BETWEEN DIANTHUS AND EPILOBIUM 97 
any of these Saponarias, growing them all on sunny 
banks. 
Of the Gypsophilas, no sane person would admit 
paniculata or any of the big rampant species to the rock- 
garden. But repens (or prostrata) is a valuable high- 
alpine, of the very easiest cultivation, forming immense 
thick mats of pale pink or white blossom borne in 
showers just above the succulent-looking greyish foliage. 
Even this species must be kept away from the choicest 
pets, but Sundermanni and cerastioeides are both neat 
little tufted things, with quantities of charming, pink- 
marked flowers, who may be grown anywhere, even 
among the smallest treasures. Swndermanni is white, 
cerastioeides pink with deeper markings. The larger 
species are sometimes frightful ;—I once had scorzonerae- 
folia as a present, and vastly plumed myself on such a 
novelty, until it bloomed, and revealed itself one of the 
coarsest and least attractive of weeds. 
The Alpine Cerastiums (Chickweeds) are not, somehow, 
of very easy culture. ‘They have a way of fading from 
my garden and my memory too. ‘The rare woolly native, 
Cerastium alpinum, is fairly easy, if it does not damp off 
in winter, and its big white flowers are pretty. Glaciale 
is very beautiful indeed, with round snowy blooms that 
he about over the moraine. I have collected him times 
without number, with every care, but he has never lasted 
long in cultivation. The most generally useful is the 
white-leaved tomentosum, so abundantly used in grave 
adornment; but this is far too rampageous for the rock- 
garden. And so, really, is Cerastiwm repens, which I once 
accepted gratefully, and have waged vain war against ever 
since. It is a passionately-spreading weed with glossy 
leaves, and myriads of ragged white flowers, not nearly so 
fine as those of tomentosum. 
Besides verna and gothica the Arenarias give us one 
G 
