THE NEW BEDDING 131 



bretias and Gaillardias, and the flowers of these plants 

 may be blended in a vase or bowl with dark Barberry 

 foliage. A rich and beautiful harmony is produced in 

 the garden by putting the two first-named plants to- 

 gether. Both are cheap, both are hardy, both grow in 

 almost any soil. 



A lovely margin may be made to a bed by laying down 

 some flat stones, planting one of the pretty Grape and 

 Feather Hyacinths, such as the exquisite blue Muscari 

 azureus Freyniana, between the stones (bulbs can be 

 bought cheaply in the fall), and carpeting with one of 

 the mossy Saxifrages ; the common hypnoides will do 

 as well as any, but the Saxifraga-lover will want a 

 choicer sort. The Muscari blooms in February. 



The want of a graceful, fern-like plant to associate 

 with flowers in a bed is sometimes felt. There is such a 

 plant, but it is little known except to the gardeners in 

 the large parks, who grow it under the name of Oreocome 

 Candollei ; the proper botanical name, however, is 

 Selinum tenuifolium. It is a most beautiful plant, but 

 it is not hardy, and those who use it must winter it under 

 glass. 



A bed of remarkable beauty and originality may be 

 made by planting the little-known but lovely Tamarisk, 

 Tamarix hispida aestivalis, in association with Liliums 

 umbellatum and tigrinum. The Tamarisk produces 

 abundance of graceful green foliage and lovely plumes 

 of mauve flowers if pruned hard every spring. 



A few other ideas for spring beds may be given : 



(i) Tulip White Swan and Forget-me-not Royal Blue. 

 The Tulip belongs to the early Dutch section, but it is 

 one of the latest of them to bloom, and one of the most 

 lasting ; the flowers are of beautiful form. The variety 

 of Forget-me-not is distinguished by good habit and 



