THE WILD GARDEN. 



fringed colonies, growing to and fro as they like after planting. 

 Lessons in this grouping are to be had in the woods, copses, 



heaths, and meadows, by those who look about 

 Natural groups, them as they go. At first many will find it 



difficult to get out of formal masses, but they 

 may be got over by studying natural groupings- of wild flowers. 

 Once established, the plants soon begin to group themselves in 

 pretty ways. 



In the cultivation of hardy plants and especially in wild 

 gardening the important thing is to find out what things really do 



in the soil, without which much good way cannot 



The secret of be made. Many people make errors in planting 



the soil. things that are tender in our country and very 



often fail in consequence ; but apart from such 

 risky planting perfectly hardy plants may disappear owing to some 

 dislike of the soil. They flower feebly at first and afterwards 

 gradually wane in spite of all our efforts. So it is with the Crocus. 

 I find it difficult to naturalise, it takes but slowly and gradually 

 diminishes, and in many places covers the ground. The Narcissus, 

 which is so free and enduring in cool damp soil, does little good on 

 warm, light or chalky soil. Some things are so omnivorous in their 

 appetites that they will grow anywhere, but some, the more beautiful 

 races of bulbous and other early flowers, will only thrive and stay 

 with us where they like the soil. It should be clearly seen therefore 

 that what may be done with any good result in the wild garden 

 cannot be determined beforehand, but must depend on the nature 

 of the soil and other circumstances which can be known only to 

 those who study the ground. 



Where the branches of trees, both evergreen and summer-leafing, 

 sweep the turf in pleasure grounds many pretty spring-flowering 



bulbs may be naturalised beneath the branches, and 



Flowers beneath will thrive without attention. It is chiefly in the 



trees. case of deciduous trees that this can be done ; 



but even in the case of Conifers and Evergreens 

 some graceful objects may be dotted beneath the outermost points 

 of their lower branches. We know that a great number of our 

 spring flowers and hardy bulbs mature their foliage and go to 

 rest early in the year. In spring they require light and sun, 

 which they obtain abundantly under the summer-leafing tree ; they 

 have time to flower and grow under it before the foliage of the 

 tree appears ; then, as the summer heats approach, they are 

 overshadowed, and go to rest ; but the leaves of the tree once 

 fallen, they soon begin to reappear and cover the ground with 

 beauty. 



