THE DAY BEFORE SPRING 61 



for its roots find a cool root-run and it spreads its war- 

 ring colour over cool stones, with which it is at peace. 

 Behind it rises feathery Artemisia Stelleriana and long- 

 stemmed Poet's Narcissi. But for those who do not see 

 magenta in its true light there are plenty of other 

 lovely sorts, and best of all is that named G. F. Wilson, 

 so silvery in its lavender colouring as to be almost gray. 

 It grows at the top of a low retaining wall, over which it 

 hangs in pale coloured mats, well set off by the clumps 

 of dwarf purple Iris and light yellow Tulips at the wall 

 top that come into bloom before the Phlox is past. Nel- 

 soni is a fine, gleaming white sort, and others are Newry 

 Seedling, mauve; The Bride, white with pink eye; Kath- 

 leen, rosy lilac, and Little Dot, white, blue eye. 



These little plants are not at all set in their ways, and 

 will gladly creep between stones in any cranny where 

 they can secure a foothold, or they will lie contentedly 

 sunning themselves in spreading patches along the 

 borders. I have never seen seed of these Phloxes 

 offered, but one's stock is easily increased by pegging 

 down the little branches with a wire hairpin imme- 

 diately after flowering and covering the pegged-down 

 portion with sand, which must be kept moist. Roots 

 will quickly form and the new plant may be detached 

 and started upon a career of its own. 



Phlox divaricata is an upright little plant, carrying its 

 wide, metallic-blue blossoms on stems about a foot high. 

 It looks very well with the Daffodils, Arabis, and early 



