76 ALPINE PLANTS 
A. glandulosa is one of the very best of the whole genus. 
Its blossoms are very large, and the wing petals and spurs 
are of a rich shining blue, the fuchsia-like corolla being 
white. This plant invariably plays a prominent part in 
the rock garden exhibits at the Royal Horticultural shows 
at Chelsea at the latter end of May, but the flowering 
season extends throughout June, and frequently into 
July. Precocity is one characteristic of the species, A. 
pyrenaica, plants in sheltered nooks frequently opening 
blossoms before March has passed, and the display is 
maintained for fully ten weeks. The colour of the flowers 
is a pleasing shade of lilac, verging to lavender. 
ARABIS.—The common type of Arabis albida is so 
rough and common a plant that it is a pity to waste space 
in a garden of limited dimensions upon it, when there . 
are other more refined and less rampant kinds, which are 
just as easily grown. The double form of albida is certainly 
preferable, its stock-like spikes of bloom being quite pleasing, 
but even this is a coarse rough-growing plant, that should 
not be allowed to spread itself all over the place, to the 
detriment of neighbouring plants. The best method is 
to cut back the growths to the base as soon as flowering 
has ceased. New growth will break away immediately 
and the plant will present a tidier appearance, and the 
next crop of flowers come finer, than if the mass of growth 
is just allowed to go on spreading unchecked. A. Billardierii 
rosea is a dainty little plant of less coarseness than albida, 
and its small heads of pink flowers are of pretty colour. 
A. blepharophylla is smaller still, being only about three 
inches over all; the flowers are reddish purple. Another 
