22 MY SHRUBS 



plant named after an old-time director of the King's garden at Paris, 

 is a Mexican of great beauty, exceedingly rare in cultivation. With 

 a little nursing through winter, it thrives in favoured gardens, and 

 no more splendid thing brightens an August day. If you can 

 tell me where this may be secured, I shall thank you. At present 

 I know of two pieces only, and neither belongs to me. There are 

 many good garden hybrids ; but B, triphylla is far finer than any 

 of them. 



Bridgesia spicata has few friends, but I like this Chilian's pale 

 pink masses of inflorescence in March, when competition is not 

 keen. It is quite hardy, makes a huge bush on a wall, and if you 

 prefer to call it Er cilia, the Peruvian name, not a soul can blame you. 



The purple tassels and golden balls of Buddleia are familiar to 

 every shrub lover, but a choice species, with delicate creamy 

 racemes and most delicious fragrance, is B, asiatica. This proves 

 quite a hardy Indian with me, and scents its corner of the garden 

 from September to the frosts. It is a good thing, and so is B, 

 paniculata — a plant with silvery foliage still seldom seen. Sir 

 James Colville's fine Buddleia, when well grown, makes a mag- 

 nificent appearance with its cherry-coloured clusters of flowers 

 and silver-green foliage. This is perfectly hardy, and a valued 

 friend owns perhaps the best piece in the West Country. Twenty 

 feet high it stands, and it was grown from seed that the owner 

 himself collected in the Sikkim Himalaya. I thank him gratefully 

 for my picture, which came from his famous compound. B. 

 auriculata, a very recent arrival, I have as a gift from a kind 

 professional ; but it proves to be B. asiatica over again. Herr 

 Sander has some notable new rosy hybrids of B. variabilis. 

 Buddleia, by the way, renders immortal the name of Adam 



