190 The Wild Garden. 



erroneously called the Maiden-hair), only that the 

 wall must be somewhat older and richer, so to 

 speak, to accommodate these than the Wall-rue. 

 Indeed, this little fern will grow on a wall that is in 

 perfect condition, as may be seen by any person 

 ^riving past Lord Mansfield's place at Highgate, 

 where the high garden-wall that runs for some dis- 

 tance parallel with the road running from Hamp- 

 stead to Highgate is covered in its upper part with 

 this plant, and would be so lower down, and more 

 abundantly, were it not for the depredations of 

 plant-collectors. In a moister district, or on an 

 older wall, it would, of course, be far more luxu- 

 riant ; but the fact that you may establish it on a 

 sound wall is worth relating. Nothing could be 

 more interesting than to see an old wall covered 

 with ferns, draped here and there with Linaria, and 

 studded in spots with the Sedum above recom- 

 mended for this purpose, or with others. 



The Sedums are succeeded in the natural classi- 

 fication of British plants by the Saxifrages — 

 beautiful, most interesting, and very neat in habit, 

 like the Sedums in size, but distinct and even more 

 indispensable for the garden. First, there is the 

 Irish group of Saxifrages, the London Pride and 

 its varieties ; and the Killarney saxifrage, Si 



