176 MORE POT-POURRI 



what I recommend to everybody, the biennial Michauxia 

 campanuloides . He says everyone used to exclaim on 

 seeing it, 'Oh! what a charming white LUy!' The only 

 way, as I stated before, is to grow it from seed. Wat- 

 sonia marginata, according to him, is a lovely plant 

 which in Scotland can be classed as a hardy perennial. 

 It a good deal resembles the Sparaxis pulcherrima ; in 

 fact, much more so than it resembles the other Wat- 

 sonias, which, he says, are shy bloomers. He speaks of 

 another little favourite of mine, Linaria repens alia, and 

 describes it — as I have always done — by saying it re- 

 minds him strongly of a Lily -of -the -Valley. It is very 

 easy to grow, and well worth having. It is seldom found 

 in flower lists, and he says he got his from Amos Perry, 

 of Winchmore Hill, Herts. He mentions a pure white 

 Iris kcBmpferi in full bloom, and below it a mixed mass 

 of those new Tigridias (Aurea and Lilacina grandiflora) 

 and brilliant blue Commelina. This mixture was hard 

 to beat. Also the trimming round the base of the Mi- 

 chauxia, already described, consisted of a variety of 

 Platycodons or Japanese balloon -plants, in different 

 shades of blue, mixed with white Swainsonia. All these 

 last-named, with the exception of the Swainsonia, came 

 from Eoozen's. Then he says : ' I think I have told you 

 all that I can remember as being particularly good in 

 1896.' I thought he gave such a creditable list that it 

 might interest others who did not see ' The Scotsman' — 

 good combinations being so difficult to get in herbaceous 

 and bulb gardens. He goes on to say: ' The most strik- 

 ing flowers grown here in 1897 were a collection of Calo- 

 chorti. I had tried them previously on a very small 

 scale, with very small success ; but, knowing them to be 

 quite a specialty of the Messrs. Wallace of Colchester, I 

 corresponded with them, and they sent me a collection 

 of Calochortus bulbs which they thought would suit, and 



