COLOUR IN MY GARDEN 



brother that stalks the shady stream-sides, startling us 

 with the fire of his war paint, is more striking. 



These are all for broad planting and to be left practi- 

 cally to themselves; but in the treasure store of our country 

 are many other plants which will require more special 

 conditions and which should be bestowed about in nooks 

 and corners to be visited and enjoyed in the season of their 

 flowering as something rare and particularly interesting. 

 There are all the strangely beautiful creations belonging to 

 the Orchidaceae — the quaint Ladies Tresses (Spiranthes) ; 

 the Rattle-snake Plantain (Goodyera), with its uncomfort- 

 ably suggestive leafage; the exquisite Arethusa, whose 

 colour Thoreau describes as "crystalline purple"; the pure 

 pink, violet-scented Pogonia and its almost invariable 

 companion, the mauve-pink Calopogon; and the many 

 handsome Orchises grouped under the head of Habenaria 

 and of course the Cypripediums. And besides these we 

 may have the Pitcher Plants and Sundews, Spigela, Sabatia 

 and Grass of Parnassus that will tax our ingenuity to es- 

 tablish in the ordinary marsh. 



No dissertation upon waterside planting would be com- 

 plete without mention of the blue Pickerel Weed that veils 

 the shore in such lovely colour from late July onward. 

 Its stiff flower spikes rise out of the shallow water in closely 

 packed masses and are often accompanied most harmon- 

 iously by the white-flowered Arrowhead. The yellow 

 English Flag (Iris pseudacorus) will also grow with its 

 feet in the water as will the Water Arum (Calla palustris), 

 Cat-tail, Golden Club (Oronticum aquaticum), Sweet Flag 

 (Acorus Calmus), the curious Burr Reeds (Sparganium), 



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