17a The Wild Garden. 



counties of England. In one gorge on Helvellyn 

 I have found it ascend almost to the top of that 

 mountain, flowering beautifully in most inacces- 

 sible spots ; it is rather common in gardens, and to 

 be had from the seedsmen. Delphinium Consolida 

 is somewhat frequent in the eastern counties ; it is 

 an annual, interesting and desirable where a full 

 collection is sought, but has hardly quality enough 

 for the choice selection. The common poisonous 

 aconite (A. Napellus) is rather an ornamental 

 native plant, though only locally distributed ; it is, 

 however, very common in gardens, where it should 

 be carefully isolated from any roots likely to be 

 used as food, in consequence of the frightfully 

 poisonous character of its roots. 



The common Berberis vulgaris, which is rather 

 widely distributed, must not be forgotten among 

 British plants, for I doubt if there be a more 

 beautiful sight afforded by any shrub than by this 

 when draped over with its brightly-coloured racemes 

 of fruit, which are also so useful in the edible de- 

 partment. I remember having been more struck 

 with the beauty of several fine old bushes of this 

 plant at Frogmore than with any other shrubs in 

 the wide gardens there. There is a vulgar but 

 quite unfounded prejudice which charges the plant 



