THE STREAM-GARDEN 67 



inland ; then it might cross on stepping-stones and 

 again run inland and perhaps pass behind a little knoll 

 and then again come back to the stream. Then the 

 stream might divide, and the path be carried between 

 two rills, and so on in a progression of varied incident 

 that would be infinitely more interesting than if the 

 path kept to one bank nearly always at the same 

 distance from the water after the manner of a towing- 

 path. 



I am supposing my stream to run along the bottom 

 of a little valley. Close to it the ground is open, 

 except for a few tufts of low wild bushes. As the 

 ground rises it is wooded, first with sparse copse-wood 

 and groups of Birches and Hollies ; and after this 

 with a rather thick wood of Scotch Fir. 



Having pleasantly diversified the path in relation 

 to the stream, we have to think how best it may 

 be planted. Some of the plants suited to the running 

 stream edge will be the same as for the margins of 

 stiller ponds, but some that have a liking for running 

 water will be proper to the stream itself. Such a one 

 is the Water Forget-me-not. If it does not occur in 

 the neighbourhood it is easy to raise quite a large 

 stock from seed ; and strong seedlings or divisions 

 of older plants have only to be planted in the muddy 

 soil at the water edge when they will soon grow into 

 healthy spreading sheets and give plenty of the dainty 

 bloom whose blue is the loveliest of any English plant. 

 Next to the Forget-me-not on the water edge, and also 

 a little more inland, I should plant the double Meadow- 



