174 POPULAR GARDEN FLOWERS 



places, and I have never had it so luxuriant and happy 

 as in a low, mild, sheltered garden on Kentish clay. But 

 it does not object to an elevated site provided that it has 

 moisture. This is shown by its vigour in the Derby 

 dales. It does, however, dislike, and very strongly dis- 

 like, a thin, hot, shallow soil in an exposed place. The 

 winds worry it. The soil stints it of moisture. 



A London amateur whom I knew once had re- 

 markable success with Foxgloves in a garden at Dulwich 

 by the simple plan of preparing a piece of ground between 

 a shrubbery and a Rose pergola and flinging the seed 

 broadcast over it in June. He had the most glorious 

 colony of Foxgloves that I ever saw in a private garden. 

 The long tall spires rose high above the heads of visitors, 

 and they produced a remarkable effect against the back- 

 ground of shrubs, and, where they rose above the latter, 

 against the sky. One looked through a forest of lofty 

 spikes to the sky-line beyond, broken by the tall towers 

 of the Crystal Palace. 



When the plants are established in a position that 

 they like they seed freely, and become an institution 

 which no one will find it in his heart to overturn. They 

 may be grown in the herbaceous border, but under 

 restriction, so that they may not over-ride smaller things. 

 It is an easy matter to keep them within bounds by 

 hoeing out any superfluous self-sown seedlings. 



Seedsmen have raised improved strains of Foxgloves, 

 and whoever proposes to establish the old flower in his 

 garden should make a point of getting a good strain of 

 Giant Spotted in mixture. Separate colours, such as 

 primrose, rose, and white, can also be had. Moreover, 

 some of the larger seedsmen offer seed of the form which 

 produces terminal flowers, and this is not only interesting 

 but beautiful. 



