206 IN A GLOUCESTERSHIRE GARDEN 



wild carnation {Dianthus caryophyllus), the parent of all 

 our carnations, and the gillyflower of our ancestors; 

 this is only found wild on our old castles, and never, I 

 believe, in hedges or fields. To me it has always been 

 a plant of great interest, because knowing it to be 

 an alien, and having seen it in great abundance on 

 William the Conqueror's own Castle of Falaise, I like 

 to think that it was introduced either by him or some 

 of his followers ; though its seeds or some plants may 

 have been imported with the Caen stone. But I men- 

 tion it now because this gives an excellent hint for 

 growing carnations. As usually grown, they are sadly 

 stiff, and a bed of carnations shows almost as many 

 sticks as flowers. But in Switzerland they are grown 

 (especially the crimson cloves) in the window-boxes of 

 the chalets, and are allowed to hang down, and so 

 grown they are very beautiful ; and exactly the same 

 treatment may be given to all carnations. They may 

 be placed either on the top of a wall, or in the 

 chinks, and will there grow naturally with excellent 

 effect. 



The hardy cacti will grow well in holes of old walls, 

 and generally with greater vigour than when grown in 

 the open ground without shelter. But it is well to 

 give them some protection from snow, for snow will 

 rot them, and the protection can easily be given by a 



