82 MY GARDEN 



pieces here and there at the return of spring. It 

 grows swiftly, and makes a very distinctive effect, but, 

 unlike the big and coarse M. edule, does not flower 

 out of doors. I had an enormous mat of this Hot- 

 tentot fig, but grew tired of it, and turned on it, and 

 killed it. I used to grow two others as annuals : the 

 ice plant and tricolorum, but have abandoned them. 

 Another thing grown from cuttings, and planted here 

 and there for its very beautiful and late bloom, is 

 pelargonium echinatum the thorny geranium. This 

 handsome pot plant, with its white, scarlet-splashed 

 blossom, comes as a noble visitor among the residents 

 of the rockery. The weather decides him as to flower- 

 ing, and I take cuttings for next year when October 

 returns. 



Grammanthes is a delightful dwarf annual, and its 

 little sparkling masses of yellow and orange make 

 splendid colour, like fire, on a hot rockery in July. 



Achillea tormentosa's golden bloom and the little 

 lavender scabious pterocephela hide the front of my 

 rock-work here with their flowers and beautiful foli- 

 age ; then occurs a space where I grow calochortus, 1 

 and spread portulaca over this sandy region to follow 

 these star tulips and Mariposa lilies. White-flowered 

 thymus and more rock-roses dwell in front of my 

 androsaces. Then occur patches of various sedums. 

 They fight it out together, and the strong slay the 



1 Calochortus. By the way, what are your views on the subject of Latin 

 plurals ? Do you talk of calochorti and gladioli ? If so, you must logi- 

 cally talk of "croci" also; and then people will refuse to know you. 

 Do as I do, and shirk the plural words altogether. 



