30 



THE WILD GARDEN. 



Pieonies formed a group that could be seen from a distance ; 

 wlieu T saw tliem they were surrounded by long and waving 

 grass. I cannot give any idea of the tine effect. 



The Clematis-like Atragene alpina is one of my favourite 

 flowers— seldom seen now-a-days, or indeed at any time, out 

 of a botanical garden, and till lately not often seen in one. 

 It lii<es to trail over an old stump, or through a thin low busli. 











»rja ^^^ 



hHt"" 



Double Criiiisoii Peeonies in tfrass. 



or over a rocky bank, and it is a perfectly hardy plant. Speak- 

 ing of such plants as this, one would like to draw a sharp 

 distinction between them and the vari()us weedy and indistinct 

 subjects wliich are now creeping into cultivation owing to 

 the revival of interest in hardy plants. Many of these have 

 some botanical interest, but they can l)e only useless in the 

 garden. Our chief danger now is getting plants into cultiva- 

 tion which are neither very distinct nor \'ery beautiful, while 

 perhaps we neglect many of the really tine kinds. This 



