MAY 305 



contribution of the Western Hemisphere to the symbolical 

 flowers of Christendom ; and its starlike blossoms have 

 taken a worthy place beside the mystical Eoses and Trefoils 

 of ecclesiastical decoration. 



When I replanted the Ornithogalum pyramidale in 

 September last year, I planted between them some pieces 

 of Galega officinalis, so easily divided in the autumn. The 

 fresh bright green makes a groundwork for the long 

 spikes of the bulbs, and later it gives a succession of 

 flowers of its own pretty white or pale lilac. In dry 

 seasons it is most useful for picking. In one place I find 

 it is growing quite successfully. In a more shaded 

 corner under a wall no sun reaching it in winter every 

 plant of the Galega has died. I merely mention this as 

 one more instance of how the hardiest plants do well or not 

 within a few yards of each other. I saw in a friend's garden 

 to-day Alstrcemerias growing like weeds all over the place. 

 I remarked on this. ' Yes,' she said, ' it's quite true. For 

 five years I had never been able to get one seed to grow, 

 and the plants I bought invariably died. Now I have so 

 many that I must dig them out with a spade.' 



I do not think I mentioned before that all kinds of 

 Poppies travel beautifully if they are gathered in bud ; and 

 if on arrival the hard husk is peeled off from the buds, 

 they revive and flower and last longer. Forcing open the 

 buds exhausts the flowers, and then they open but to fade 

 and die. The Shirley and Iceland Poppies are prepared in 

 this way for the London market. Some of the Campanula 

 tribe do best dry and starved ; they flower well instead of 

 going to leaf. This is especially the case with the little 

 C. cczspitosa and with C. grandis, which is so useful for 

 covering the ground under shrubs and in bare dry places. 

 C. pyramidalis, though it likes half-shade, enjoys a rich, 

 rather moist place. The C. persicifolia is never quite so 

 beautiful here as I have seen it on stiff soils. 



