58 WILD GARDENING 



practical to have strong masses here and there, if we will only thin 

 out the woods enough to encourage flowers, but not enough to let 

 the grass crowd out all floral beauty. We generally swing from 

 one extreme to the other. We begin by allowing no one to use the 

 axe. Then we get the notion that an English deer park is the ideal 

 thing, so we cut out too much and let in the cattle, whereupon the 

 wild flowers vanish and the trees are left with ugly stag-horn tops. 

 The largest flower show in English woods after the leaves come 

 out is made by the Pontic rhododendron, but this has a coarse, 

 unpleasant colour. Our own Catawbiense, which blooms in June, 

 is no worse in colour, and decidedly hardier, while our maximum is 

 altogether lovely in July. Then, too, there is no evergreen native 

 to Europe which is half so beautiful as our mountain laurel. I 

 am happy to say that we really are beginning to appreciate these 

 three evergreens. It is now quite the fashion to plant them by 

 the car load. England cannot grow Rhododendron maximum 

 at all. 



FILLING MEADOWS WITH FLOWERS 



Our meadows can be filled with spring flowers without impair- 

 ing the hay crop. Mr. Robinson's meadows contain millions of 

 bulbous flowers, great sheets of checkered lilies (Fritillaria Melea- 

 gris), and the sweet blue wind-flowers, of which the finest is Ane- 

 mone Robinsoniana (supposed to be a variety of A. nemorosa). 

 We cannot stain our meadows blue in March with the Apennine 

 and Grecian wind-flowers (Anemone Apennina and blanda), but 

 we can have goodly sheets of sky-blue scillas and glory-of-the-snow. 

 And daffodils will realize Wordsworth's vision for us in April. 

 Every one knows about his "ten thousand daffodils at a single 

 glance." To accomplish this order ten thousand bulbs of Prin- 

 ceps (the earliest yellow trumpet daffodil suitable for naturalizing) 



