250 GARDENS: THEIR FORM AND DESIGN 



are what we cannot take to England, and some trees 

 would not thrive with us ; but a record of good colour 

 combinations, such as the happy effect of bamboos near 

 grey-green ilexes, may be useful in our home gardens. 

 Perhaps the best journey from the point of view of 

 botanic interest lies between Genoa and Pisa. Upon 

 those steep rocks which descend to the deep blue sea, as 

 the train dashes in and out amidst an eternity of tunnels, 

 we have time to see the Mediterranean heath, rock cistus, 

 and rosemary that takes its name from the spray of the 

 sea. They grow in the same profusion as wallflower and 

 valerian upon the chalk railway-banks of our South 

 Coast. 



Just before Pisa is reached we have a wonderful and 

 lasting picture of the Carrara Mountains in the distance, 

 a wood of stone pines, and the deep blue sea beyond. 

 These trees look well in many different positions. Near 

 the coast they generally stand alone, no other tree near 

 by ; but they are fine, too, when farther inland they 

 spring from an undergrowth of a light green colour such 

 as sycamores. They seem to thrive best in Italy when 

 planted somewhat in a furrow or in a dip of the ground. 

 This idea of shelter from wind, when they first are planted, 

 applies also to the Austrian pines we have in England ; 

 for it is wonderful what careful protection at the com- 

 mencement of their growth will do for them. 



Near Florence the stone pines grow upon what appears 

 to be absolute rock, so they are not fastidious as to soil. 

 In April the great woods of them between Empoli and 

 Florence are a beautiful dark green colour, and they are 

 planted about twelve or a few more feet apart. We long 

 to carry them back to our own country and to cover high 

 conspicuous mounds with them, putting broom and other 

 light green undergrowth near by. Although they are slow 

 of growth it is possible to have these pines in sheltered 



