70 FAMILIAR WILD FLOWERS. 



axiom ; we found that every little piece chopped off, if not 

 carefully removed, would grow, and the task became so 

 onerous that we were glad to root it all up, and be 

 thankful to feel that we had seen the last of it as a garden 

 edging. It is surely, without exception, the easiest thing 

 possible to plant: root, stem, or anything else seems to 

 grow ; the top, half an inch or so in length, of one of the 

 stems can be put into a hole made by a small piece of stick 

 right way up or wrong is immaterial and in a very short 

 time it will show signs of full vitality; and when put into 

 the interstices of rock-work it will, unless carefully watched, 

 do much more towards clothing the whole than is altogether 

 desirable. Another of our wild borderings was much more 

 successful a line of the cinquefoil. Both foliage and flowers 

 are beautiful in form and colour, and the plant throws 

 out long suckers and grows with rapidity. Like the 

 stone-crop, it will soon, if not watched, grow out of bounds ; 

 but its larger size makes it more amenable to discipline. 



The stone-crop should be looked for, in a wild state, on 

 old walls, on rock, and on sandy ground. The old stone or 

 flint walls one sees in many parts of the country furnish, 

 in their rugged sides and uneven tops, many a crevice 

 that gives welcome foothold to the plant ; and dry, sandy 

 heaths form another favourite habitat. It flowers some time 

 during June or July, and is then a mass of golden blossom, 

 but the flowering season is ordinarily very soon over. 

 Those who have chanced to come upon an old wall or stone 

 fencing when the hundreds of blossoms are all expanded in 

 the sunlight will realise the meaning of the old name, 

 golden moss, bestowed on it, as the ordinary green appear- 

 ance is completely lost in the more intense hue of its 

 brilliant stars. 



