THE WILD GARDEN. 157 



hardy exotic plants in places where they will take care of themselves. 

 It has nothing to do with the " wilderness," though it may be carried 

 out in it. It does not necessarily mean the picturesque garden, for 

 a garden may be picturesque and yet in every part the result of 

 ceaseless care. What it does mean is best explained by the winter 

 Aconite flowering under a grove of naked trees in February ; by 

 the Snowflake abundant in meadows by the Thames ; and by the 

 Apennine Anemone staining an English grove blue. Multiply these 

 instances by adding many different plants and hardy climbers from 

 countries as cold as our own, or colder, and one may get some idea of 

 the wild garden. Some have thought of it as a garden allowed to run 

 wild, or with annuals sown promiscuously, whereas it does not meddle 

 with the flower garden proper at all. 



I wish the idea to be kept distinct from the various important 

 phases of hardy plant growth in groups, beds, and borders, in which 

 good culture may produce many happy effects ; from the rock-garden 

 or borders reserved for choice hardy flowers ; from growing hardy 

 plants of fine form ; from the ordinary type of spring garden. In the 

 smaller class of gardens there may be little room for the wild garden, 

 but in the larger gardens, where there is often ample room on the 

 outer fringes of the lawn, in grove, park, copse, or by woodland walks 

 or drives, new and beautiful effects may be created by its means. 



Among reasons for advocating this system are the following : — 

 I. Because many hardy flowers will thrive better in rough places than 

 ever they did in the old border. Even small ones, like the Ivy-leaved 

 Cyclamen, are naturalised and spread all over the mossy surface of 

 woods. 2. Because, in consequence of plant, fern and flower and 

 climber, grass, and trailing shrub, relieving each other, they will look 

 infinitely better than in stiff gardens. 3. Because no ugly effects will 

 result from decay and the swift passage of the seasons. In a semi- 

 wild state the beauty of a species will show in flowering time ; and 

 when out of bloom they will be succeeded by other kinds, or lost 

 among the numerous objects around. 4. Because it will enable us 

 to grow many plants that have never yet obtained a place in our " trim 

 gardens" — multitudes that are not showy enough to be considered 

 worthy of a place in a garden. Among the plants often thought 

 unfit for garden cultivation are a number like the coarser American 

 Asters and Golden Rods, which overrun the choicer border-flowers 

 when planted among them. Such plants would be quite at home in 

 neglected places, where their blossoms might be seen in due season. 

 To these might be added plants like the winter Heliotrope, and 

 many others, which, while interesting in the garden, are apt to spread 

 so rapidly as to become a nuisance. 5. Because in this way we may 

 settle the question of spring flowers, and the spring garden, as well 



