154 ALPINE FLOWERS AND GARDENS 



park-like pastures above Les Plans and at the foot 

 of the giant cliffs of the Grand Muveran. To the 

 west lies the Dent de Morcles and Glacier de 

 Martinet ; to the east, Les Diablerets and the Col 

 des Essets ; while to the north is the lovely wooded 

 gorge of the Avancon and the distant mountains of 

 Savoy. Subsidized by the Canton de Vaud, and 

 affiliated to the University of Lausanne, this garden 

 is strictly scientific. But it is none the less 

 beautiful for that, and in the middle of May it 

 was redolent of joyous colour. Brilliant canary- 

 yellow patches of the grey-green, moss-like Aretia 

 Vitaliana ; deep pink groups of Primula rosea ; 

 graceful little creamy-white bushes of Daphne 

 Blagayana from Bosnia ; intense blue-purple tufts 

 of Viola Calcarata ; compact, pure white masses oi 

 Saxifraga Salomonii and Saxifraga Petraschii ; and 

 bright chrome patches of Erysimum Kotschyanum 

 were aglow among the rocks in the hot midday 

 sunshine. Regiments, too, of Primula Cashmeriana 

 from India were rearing their erect, round heads 

 above the lovely magenta flowers of Primula 

 calycina from Lombardy, and the clear yellow 

 clumps of JDraba Olympica diversifolia from 

 Armenia, and Draba brunicefoUa from Persia ; 

 whilst many another Primula and Saxifrage was 



