152 BRITISH PLANTS. 



BRITISH PLANTS. 



AVITH OBSERVATIONS ON THEIR CULTURE. 



{Continued from page 57.) 



In a late number we wrote on this subject, and now venture to bring 

 before the notice of our readers a few more of the humble and unassum- 

 ing beauties which, unheeded by the florist, deciv the shady dells, the 

 dreary moors, and tlie rich meads of our native land. In our last 

 article on the subject, we stated our intentions in regard to the kinds of 

 plants we intended treating of; and, although in the following notes we 

 may pass over many British species of great beauty and interest, we 

 beg that the reader will not interpret our doing so as consequent upon 

 a want of our due appreciation of the beauty and the interest of such : 

 to us every floral gem teems with interest ; alike the little Gowan and 

 the gaudy Sunflower, — and when Wordsworth says, — 

 " To me the meanest flower that blows can give 

 Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears." 



he expresses what we have likewise often felt ; and what is felt by every 

 true lover of nature. — 



"Where pleasures are in wild fields gathered." 



Many of our most interesting wild flowers are altogether unsuitable 

 for garden culture. As an example we may cite the beautiful Meny- 

 ANTHES TRiFOLiATA {Buck Becm), wiiicli from its natural habitat 

 being marshes and the margin of peat bogs, or in very wet boggy 

 ground, is quite incapal)le of cultivation. Yet it is a very lovely flower, 

 and calls the follo'.^ing remark from a botanical writer of the last 

 century : " The flowers of this plant are so extremely beautiful, that 

 nothing but its native soil could exclude it from a place in every 

 garden." (Tlie Rev. John Lightfoot in liis " Flora Scotica," Second 

 Edition, vol. i., page 138. Published in 1792.) We beg the reader 

 then to bear in miiid, while perusing our series on the subject, tliat 

 sucli plants as the Menyantlies do not lie witiiin our province. Horti- 

 cultural science has of late years done nuicli in the way of showing 

 us how to grow plants, and how to grow plants v)ell, tiiat our fore- 

 fathers could not grow at all ; but yet there are many beauties tiiat 

 o<ir gardens have wooed, and will woo, in vain ; beaiities that love 

 better the marsh and tlie mountain than the princely parterre. We 

 proceed with our subject. 



DiANTHUs DELToiDES, Or Muidcii Pink. The florist is already 

 much indebted to the genus Dianthus ; but he has not yet drawn upon 

 it to the full extent. Tlie Carnation, the Piccotee, the Pink and the 

 Sweet William, are all snatches from this beautiful family, and have 

 been known in our gardens for a long period of years. Two of the 

 species are alluded to in the following lines of Spenser : — 



"Bring hether the Pbwhc and purple Cullambine, with gelliflowres; 

 Bring Coronations, and Sops in wine, worn of paramours." 



And it is no wonder indeed that they liave been long cultivated for 



tlieir beauty, for they are beautiful indeed : — 



" Carnationed like a sleeping infant's cheek." 



What simile more beautiful ths^n this. Plowever although her sister.s 



