My Garden in Spring 



by-the- Hedge (Sisymbrium Alliaria), half of whose leaves 

 were white, from a neighbouring hedge, perform the same 

 good work in the central silver portion. But as the best 

 Spring effect is to be seen when the Tulips are in flower, it 

 is then that I shall lead you forth to see Tom Tiddler's 

 ground. We will approach it over the old bowling green 

 lawn, and so arrive at the grey corner where Artemisia 

 Halleri, bicolor, and a good form of Absynthium I found 

 plentiful at Lanslebourg are all showing up in the front. 

 A. borealis, a lovely lacy and silvery edition of Old 

 Man which might well be called Old Lady, backs a 

 patch of the brilliantly white A. stelleriana, which is 

 allowed to sprawl on to the gravel walk, ^thiopappus 

 or Centaurea pulcherrima is newly arisen, and also won- 

 derfully white. The Centaurea, Cineraria, and Santolina 

 before mentioned form higher mounds behind, and Cer- 

 astium tomentosum makes a mat before the entrance, 

 for, as the ground was too wide to reach over com- 

 fortably, I ran an irregularly curved line of stepping- 

 stones across it to give access to the central portions, 

 and they start from among the Cerastium, and various 

 dwarf plants are planted between the stones. Ajuga 

 reptans with silver leaves is very effective used thus. 

 The tall, silvery-grey leaves of two giant Onions rise up 

 among the silver plants ; Allium Rosenbachianum has the 

 more gracefully recurved ones, but those of A. Babingtonii 

 are taller. Both plants send up large round heads of 

 mauve flowers ; those of Rosenbach's are very handsome 

 and come in May, but Babington's not till July, and 

 they think nothing of reaching a height of six feet, but 

 quite half the buds are transformed into bulbils, and 

 194 



