46 THE STORY OF MY ROCK GARDEN 



it was to grow, and that it was allied to the forget-me- 

 nots, when he surprised me with the following heartless 

 remark " Oh, well, it would not matter much if you 

 could not grow it, would it ? " To those who have 

 tried Eritrichium nanum my feelings can be better 

 imagined than described ! ! 



On the larger stones which protrude through the 

 moraine soil, I allow Arenaria balearica to spread its 

 green film of growth ; it is one-eighth of an inch high 

 and very pretty it looks, especially when covered with 

 its pure white blossoms, on one inch high stalks, 

 closing each evening and re-opening the following day. 

 Care must be taken, however, that it does not obtrude 

 itself on the choicer plants, as in the moist shingles it 

 grows very rapidly. 



Two other very pretty and indispensable plants 

 to wander over vacant spots on the moraine are 

 Linaria alpina, with its purple and orange snapdragon 

 like flowers, and the wee violet cress lonopsidium acaule. 

 With me they both sow themselves, and come up most 

 readily, and are easily removed whenever necessary. 



From my experience, I believe that the remedy for 

 many of the Alpine plants that are somewhat uncer- 

 tain and " miffy " in the Rock Garden, is to be found 

 in the moraine. 



I believe that to a large extent the soil in the Alpine 

 garden itself, could with great advantage more nearly 



