PREFACE 



There is scarcely an English country home where 

 some kind of gardening is not practised, while in a 

 very large number of country places their owners 

 have in some degree become aware of the happiness 

 that comes of a love of flowers, and of how much 

 that happiness increases when personal labour and 

 study work together to a better knowledge of their 

 wants and ways. 



In this book a portion only of the great subject of 

 horticulture is considered, namely, simple ways of 

 using some of the many beautiful mountain plants, 

 and the plants of marsh and water. It is intended 

 as a guide to amateurs, being written by one of their 

 number, who has tried to work out some of the pro- 

 blems presented by the use of these classes of plants 

 to the bettering of our gardens and outer grounds. 



The book does not attempt to exhaust the subject, 

 neither does it presume to lay down the law. It is 

 enough, in the case of the rock and wall plants, for 

 instance, to name some of the best and easiest to 

 grow. Those who will make such use of it as to 



