xxxiii] LITERARY WORK, ETC., 1887-1905 205 



of 1890 a dozen choice species, as well as a considerable 

 number of Sikhim rhododendrons (seedlings and young 

 plants) from different dealers. But although I protected 

 them with fern, ashes, etc., every heath was killed the first 

 winter, while most of the rhododendrons lived and have now 

 grown into large bushes, of which two or three have flowered 

 and others I still hope to see flower. That winter (1890-91) 

 was the first of a series of five severe winters ; while the first 

 of them for duration of hard frost and the last for extreme 

 low temperature were the worst known, at all events in the 

 south of England, for about sixty years. What I regretted 

 even more than the heaths was a fine young plant of the 

 celebrated blue Puya, a present from my kind friend Miss 

 North, who had raised it from seed she brought from Chile. 

 Not having had time to get well rooted in the soil it died, 

 like the heaths, the first winter, although when once well 

 established it will bear a considerable amount of frost 



I made a little pond here to grow water-lilies and 

 other aquatic plants, and here again I met with one of the 

 commonest difficulties of the amateur who grows more than 

 he can properly attend to, the presence of what are now 

 termed " dangerous plants." I got a small bit of the fine red 

 Swedish water-lily from Ware, and after the first year or 

 two it grew well and formed one of the greatest attractions 

 of my garden ; but I also had at one side of the pond the fine 

 native plant, Ranunculus lingua, and this, if left alone, would 

 in a few years have monopolized the whole pond and 

 destroyed the more valuable plants. Another of these 

 rapid growers is the very pretty Villarsia nymphoeoides, which 

 sends out runners in all directions, and so becomes a danger 

 to all less vigorous plants. The same thing happens with 

 alpine plants. Many, indeed most of them, are quite easy to 

 grow with a suitable position and soil, but they require con- 

 stant protection against stronger-growing plants and weeds. 

 The amateur must therefore either make them his chief care 

 or else limit his rockery to small dimensions and grow only 

 a few of the best kinds. In stocking my garden at Parkstone 

 I received valuable contributions from many kind friends, 



