COLOUR IN MY GARDEN 



rock garden." It is Mr. Fairer, too, who notes the 

 "moonlit blue" of Phlox subulata G. F. Wilson, and the 

 "French-gray" of the charming P. Stellaria, "a beautiful lax 

 trailer, like a rather large subulata, making mossy cascades 

 down the rock work." Phlox divaricata wears this moonlit 

 blue also, one of the tenderest and most beautiful of flower 

 colours, but among the rest of the dwarf Phloxes that 

 colour is rife which early writers refer to tactfully as "a 

 little purple mixed with red." Worn by these round, simple 

 flowers, however, it is very pure and bright and not by any 

 means to be despised. 



These dwarf Phloxes are not Alpines but they do very well 

 on the rockery or planted in rich, sandy soil along the front 

 of stone-edged borders where the roots may find a cool run 

 and the trailing stems spread themselves in comfort. A 

 dry-built wall, too, offers a suitable home for them if the 

 exposure is a cool one. Small bits inserted in the crevices 

 in spring soon make strong plants to festoon the wall 

 face. The best of the species are amoena, Carolina, Doug- 

 lash, stolonifera, nivalis (perhaps a form of subulata), 

 Stellaria, subulata, and divaricata. They bloom in April and 

 May. Phlox amoena exhibits the characteristic trailing 

 habit and gives its lovely magenta blossoms with freedom. 

 P. stolonifera (syn. reptens) is even more lax in growth but 

 very pretty. P. Stellaria is vigorous and has a white sort 

 besides the French gray one, and P. Douglasii is low, 

 tufted, and pubescent, with pale coloured flowers. It is a 

 Western species. 



The well-known P. subulata, called Moss Pink or Flower- 

 ing Moss, has many fine garden varieties, the most beautiful 



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