112 ALPINES AND BOG-PLANTS 
weakly; but splendens appears a well-intentioned plant, 
with silky silver foliage and fine rosy spikes. The good 
species of this race want sun and well-drained lightish 
soil; as for the bad ones, nobody cares what they 
want. 
The Lupines are notable sub-shrubs. Besides the 
noble Snow-Queen I grow some beautiful North-Ameri- 
cans. Lupinus decumbens has silky -silver leaves and 
lovely spikes of soft lilac flowers ; almost equally good is 
argenteus. ‘These trail about the rock-work in any light 
soil, and, to my joy, seem completely hardy and winter- 
proof. As for Lupinus nootkatensis, I don’t know if I have 
ever got the true species; all I can say is that if I have, 
it is not the thing that my soul covets. For my heart is 
set on a most exquisite, minute plant, making dense silvery 
cushions about four inches high, with spikes of big azure- 
blue flowers, which grows here and there quite commonly 
in the highway-sides about Vancouver and Victoria. It 
was there I saw and loved it, and collected seed of it 
years ago. All the seed germinated; and then all the 
seedlings died. What that plant’s name may really 
be I cannot tell; I merely guessed that nootkatensis 
might suit it, as belonging to that quarter of the world. 
I can only say that it is a very astonishingly lovely 
thing. Possibly it is a miff; all the Lupines, I think, 
dislike excessive damp. They must be well-drained, and 
rather dry, to be safe. As for the things I have been 
sent for nootkatensis, they are tall, coarse, and, by contrast 
with what I wanted, horrid. 
Coronilla varia is a weed, only admissible to the wildest, 
roughest banks. And, even so, be careful to get a well- 
coloured form. For while some Varias are of a brilliant 
warm rose, others, the majority, are of various dull and 
tepid tones. Coronilla emerus makes a stalwart bush of 
yellow blossom, and is not reputed quite hardy. Anyhow 
