74 STUDIES IN GARDENING 



into growth in the spring, and many will shrivel up 

 and die when the east winds blow for want of it. Gen- 

 tiana verna and Dianthus alpinus are now throwing 

 out little shoots, just like Androsace verna, and but 

 for the leaf-mould they would probably have made 

 no growth at all. 



Primula nivalis is in full bloom, and is certainly 

 the best of the Alpine primulas, flowering more freely 

 than any others, and surpassing them all in the beauty 

 of its milk white blossoms. Though it looks to be 

 the most Alpine of flowers, it is really a garden plant, 

 being, we believe, a white form of Primula pubescens. 

 It likes a westerly or north-westerly aspect, and is 

 quite easy to grow even on level ground in light rich 

 soil, but it shows its true beauty only among the 

 rocks. It does not seem to suffer at all from our win- 

 ters, and may be safely planted in early autumn. 

 The mountain Tulips are, some of them, in flower, 

 some in full bud, and some already over. Tulipa 

 Kaufmanniana is really large enough for a border 

 plant; but most people grow it on the rockery because 

 it probably needs sharp drainage. It was introduced 

 only a few years ago, and is almost the earliest to 

 flower and the most beautiful of all Tulips. It is 

 now over, but in the middle of March its blossoms 

 began to open, at first creamy white and then flushed 

 with pink on the outside, while the inside has a golden 

 centre like that of a water-lily. It suffers little from 

 any caprices of the weather, and its great blossoms, 

 in their last glory, looked strange as they opened above 



