DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE BEST KINDS 201 



the South of France, with very attractive foliage 

 and creamy white flowers, is perhaps the best of those 

 suited to the rock garden ; another one worthy of 

 mention is A. glutinosum having white blossoms and 

 trailing growth. A. semper virens has cream-coloured 

 blossoms with purple lip. A dry sunny spot and well- 

 drained soil are essential to success, while it is wise 

 to protect the plants in winter by placing a pane of glass 

 over them to keep off excessive wet. Plant so that the 

 shoots may trail over the face of some rock. Propagation 

 is easily effected by means of seed sown in late summer 

 or in early spring. 



Aquilegia (Columbine). The Aquilegias (which 

 belong to the Buttercup family, Ranunculaceae) need no 

 praise ; they appeal to everyone by their grace and by 

 the beauty of their flowers. Neither do they need any 

 detailed description, as everyone is acquainted with their 

 appearance. They are widely distributed on the mountains 

 of Europe and North America. All the Columbines may 

 be used with satisfaction on the rockery, but it is better 

 to leave the larger species and their varieties to the border, 

 although some of them are very attractive when perched 

 on some high spot. For this purpose A. vulgaris, the 

 common Columbine found wild in England, A. caerulea 

 (native of the Rocky Mountains), and A. caerulea hybrida 

 (the handsome long-spurred hybrids) ; and A. chrysantha 

 (from California), yellow, may be employed. For the 

 rockery the following are very suitable : A. alpina, blue 

 and white (the Swiss Alpine Columbine) ; A. canadensis 



