44 ALPINE PLANTS 
indeed an almost endless variety of choice and beautiful 
plants. 
At intervals a yard of space should be marked out for a 
Cistus, Helianthemum, or some other flowering shrub of 
moderate height, and it should be contrived that the soil 
in these positions should be mounded several inches above 
the surrounding level. Do not let the shrubs be very large 
when planted, for small young plants will establish them- 
selves better. The bareness of the soil around them can be 
hidden by planting the delightful pink-flowered Saponaria 
ocymoides, the white Asperula odorata, or the yellow Lotus 
corniculatus, which will keep the spot well furnished until 
the shrub occupies the whole of its allotted space. 
If some peat can be obtained a peat bed may be made in 
a partially shaded spot, or a few pockets dotted about along 
the shadier and cooler side of the alpine bed in which such 
subjects as Soldanellas, Epigzea repens, the hardy orchids, 
and some of the many beautiful British ferns may be grown. 
Many Primulas, too, like some peat in the soil, and it is 
necessary if we wish to have a good colony of hardy heathers. 
It is well, if sufficient fairly broad slabs of rough porous 
stone can be procured, just to roughly divide these various 
sections of our alpine bed; for in addition to the useful 
purposes served by stone, as previously explained, these 
rugged divisions will be of considerable help in keeping one 
class of plant from encroaching on the domains of another ; 
but always remember that the plants do not want to be 
“walled” in by stones set up perpendicularly on edge. 
The great advantage about the method of cultivating 
alpines at present under consideration is that it may be 
