JUNE MAGIC 91 



washy, anaemic, red colour which has given magenta a 

 bad name, I did not try to save any in the "cleaning 

 up." Sweet Williams are old and valued friends and 

 most helpful in the June scheme of things. The lovely 

 salmon-pink variety is a real acquisition, and the fluffy, 

 double white ones are pretty, too. I do not care for the 

 two-coloured sorts, but the fine blackish crimson one, 

 that John Rea describes as a "deep, rich murrey velvet 

 colour" and considered "the finest of the Williams," is 

 very splendid and useful for grouping with flowers of a 

 raw red shade. 



Sweet Williams seem to have a natural affinity for 

 Foxgloves, as any one will agree who has seen them in- 

 citing each other to greater achievements of discordant 

 colour in old gardens where they have been allowed to 

 seed promiscuously. But this affinity may be taken 

 advantage of to bring about a very happy union if 

 white Foxgloves and salmon Sweet Williams are brought 

 together, and I like to add to this group clumps of 

 striped grass or Gardener's Garters. Sweet Williams 

 are best treated as biennials, as the old plants lose their 

 stocky form and deteriorate generally, and it is best to 

 buy fresh seed and not depend upon the gypsy seedlings, 

 for these usually hark back to their magenta forebears. 



In old works on gardening Thrift (Armeria) is al- 

 ways included under the head of Pinks, and the tidy, 

 tufted growth and rosy blossoms of both certainly sug- 

 gest kinship. The Sea, or Cushion Pink, Armeria 



