216 OUR ROCK-GARDEN 



mass that our illustration shows us as a base 

 from whence the azure florets spring. It is a 

 plant so attractive that it has been transferred 

 by the florist to his flower-beds, by the cottager to 

 his cottage plot, and under the influence of cultiva- 

 tion becomes susceptible to a certain amount of 

 colour-change, 1 though nothing can exceed the 

 simple beauty of the plant as Nature grows it. It 

 seeds itself freely, and is a particularly easy plant 

 to establish, its masses of flowers brightening up 

 our rock-garden with a rich blue that is a rather 

 scarce tint in matters floral. One can get abundance 

 of yellow, white, pink, or crimson, but blue flowers 

 are in a decided minority and therefore to be duly 

 appreciated. 



To realise what of splendour of colour a blue 

 flower can compass at its grandest we must turn to 

 the gentians. On Plate XXIV. we have figured two 

 of these. The smaller one the Gentiana verna 

 is included in our British plant lists, though it is to 

 be found in but few localities within the narrow 

 bounds of these islands, but it is one of the com- 

 monest species in the mountain pastures of Central 

 and Southern Europe. To see it in its beauty 

 one must visit the Alpine meadows in early Summer 

 and see great stretches of ground thickly studded 



1 Tusser, writing in 1573, commends amongst the " herbes 

 for windowes and pots " and the farmer's garden, " Botles, 

 blew, red, and tawnie." 



