THE WHITE ROCKERY 97 



Scotch crocus, should be in any serious collection ; 

 also biflorus pusillus and Leedsii. Colchicums are 

 hardy in proper quarters. They like half shade, 

 and should be planted where their heavy foliage 

 may ripen through early summer without being a 

 nuisance. Their masses of white, lavender, and 

 purple brighten autumn. Try Parkinsoni a che- 

 quered pale and dark purple; autumnale white and 

 purple ; speciosum and byzantinum, to begin with. 

 Of anemones fill spare patches of grass with 

 apennina and fulgens. For the rockery, Robinsoni- 

 ana, palmata, and the little yellow ranunculoides are 

 good. Ranunculus does well planted pretty deep 

 in autumn. The Persians and double French and 

 Turbans must, of course, be dug up and dried off 

 after flowering ; but I am very impatient of things 

 that demand so much fuss, and do not personally 

 think ranunculus quite worth it. Concerning varieties, 

 amplexicaulis is beautiful, and need not be lifted after 

 flowering. It does well with me. Lyalli, a New 

 Zealand buttercup, is perhaps the finest of all. This 

 is hardy at Kew, so you will do well to get it, if you 

 know where. 1 Crown imperials and fritillaries appear 

 next in my catalogue. I have grown grand imperials, 

 but the bulbs slowly deteriorate and never increase. 

 Ruthenica is a lovely fritillary, and so is pyrenaica. 

 Aurea is another little golden beauty, but a shy 

 flowerer. Moggridgei must be beautiful, and also 

 Walujewi. I have wasted many a good shilling on 



1 If you know where. Since writing this chapter I have found where. 

 Messrs. Gauntlett & Co. of Redruth supply it. 



G 



