CHOICE PLANTS FOR ROCK GARDENS 139 
silvery leaves as well as white blossoms. A shallow pan 
of Draba mawii, or D. pyrenaica may well be included 
in the collection of alpines for frame or house culture, 
DRACOCEPHALUM.—It seems to me that a few members 
of this family deserve more attention than they, generally 
speaking, receive, for they are plants of great beauty, 
easy to grow, and wonderfully free flowering. D. grandi- 
florum is especially good. Its flower stems are only a 
few inches long, but the individual blossoms are quite 
2 inches in length, and are of a shade of blue that may 
well compare with the much prized gentians. The plant 
spreads over a considerable area, and its flowering period 
extends from midsummer to Michaelmas. Then we have 
D. Ruprechtii, growing about a foot in height, with pale 
lilac flowers, and D. alpinum with bright blue flowers, 
on 6 inch stalks. There is no difficulty in cultivating 
Dracocephalums, and they make fine patches of colour 
after many of the spring flowers have passed away. 
Dryas.—If once a plant of Dryas Drummondi, or D. 
octopetala is well established, in a semi-shaded, well- 
drained position, with peaty soil for its roots to run in, 
and some stones for the prostrate twiggy growths and 
evergreen foliage to rest on, we have a feature of perpetual 
interest and beauty. The crimpled netted foliage bears 
some resemblance to oak leaves, the flowers of Drum- 
mondi are of rich glowing yellow, and those of octopetala, 
eight-petalled, are glistening white. We have another 
white-flowered species in integrifolia, and lanata is a woolly- 
leaved variety of distinctive charm. Stems of Dryas may 
be rooted by layering or mulching with sand and peat, 
