THE ROCK AND WATER GARDEN 159 



March. One of the most beautiful members of the genus is 

 T. kaufmanniana, with its variable flowers of cream and 

 yellow with red stripes. Others in flower at that time are the 

 rose purple T.pulchella and the paler T. Lownei from Syria. 



Other miscellaneous plants which contribute towards a 

 display in spring include the well-known Arabis alpina; 

 Adonis amurensis, with yellow flowers, with its later flower- 

 ing, curious and handsome double variety, with a green 

 fringed centre ; Chionodoxa (Glory of the Snow) ; Fritillaria 

 aurea, with its large chequered bells of golden yellow and 

 brown ; and Hyacinthus azureus, which is undoubtedly the 

 most charming little bulb of the genus for this purpose, 

 with a Muscari-like spike of light blue flowers. Among the 

 choicest plants are the Shortias, which include S. galacifolia, 

 from North Carolina, with its white-fringed, bell-like flowers ; 

 5. uniflora, from Japan, of dwarfer habit, with large, pale pink 

 flowers ; and S. uniflora var. grandiflora, with larger foliage 

 than the last and deep pink flowers of large size. Morisia 

 hypogcea, with its rich yellow flowers, and the Draba of various 

 kinds help, with others too numerous to mention, to make a 

 pleasing display that is very welcome in the early spring. 



Cultivation. Although some of the alpine plants from 

 higher elevations require special conditions and soil, a great 

 number are easily accommodated and will flourish freely in 

 gritty or well-drained porous soil, say good loam 2 parts, 

 coarse sand i part, with just a little fine leaf-soil added. For 

 the choicer Saxifragas a little crushed limestone may also 

 be mixed with the bulk. The size of the pans in which the 

 plants are to be grown is immaterial, but the most con- 

 venient for general purposes are those 6 inches or 7 inches 

 in diameter and about 4 inches or 5 inches deep. For Saxi- 

 fragas, Sedums, Androsaces, and such like plants the pans 

 should be about half-filled with broken crocks to secure 

 thorough drainage, but in the case of bulbs or stronger grow- 

 ing plants less is needed. When in full growth and flowering 

 abundance of water is necessary for nearly all alpine plants ; 

 but, at the same time, anything in the nature of stagnant 

 moisture is injurious. The best time for potting up the 

 perennial kinds is soon after they have done flowering for 

 the season, when they can be divided up carefully, afterwards 

 placing them in a frame where they can be kept close and 

 shaded for a time. Bulbs should be potted up in September, 

 or as soon after as they can be procured. After potting the 

 bulbs plunge the pans to the rim in ashes outside ; only bring 

 them into the house when they show signs of flowering. 



