172 OUR ROCK-GARDEN 



Another trailing plant that we are willing to find 

 space for is the ground ivy. It is a plant of 

 almost every country hedgerow or roadside, yet 

 one well worthy of a place in our collection. Like 

 the cinquefoil, it is a great runner, and will require 

 some little controlling, or it will make itself even 

 too much at home, but one will gladly run the risk 

 of that to add its rich mass of foliage and heads 

 of purple flowers to our collection of wildling 

 beauties. If we have a little extra good fortune 

 we may find a plant of it having its blossoms pure 

 white instead of the normal purple. The whole 

 plant is frequently tinged with dull purple. It 

 gives forth a strong odour when bruised an odour 

 that is described by some writers as aromatic, 

 though others prefer the word unpleasant. The 

 ground ivy was esteemed by our ancestors a 

 valuable tonic and vulnerary herb, and sufferers 

 from pulmonary trouble, dropsy, dyspepsia, and 

 divers other ailments were duly dosed with it. 

 The leaves were also infused in water as a substi- 



our pockets and call on the nurseryman, some thirty or 

 more of this charming potentilla family may be at our 

 service, the majority having white or yellow flowers, but 

 others crimson, dark purple, copper-coloured, orange, or 

 pink. Thus P. atrosanguinea has blossoms of a deep blood 

 red ; P. crocea of a copper colour ; P. maculata, orange. 

 P. nivalis is particularly attractive, having white flowers and 

 its foliage silvery-grey. Many of the florists' potentillas have 

 their blossoms large and double. 



