203 The Wild Garden. 



that light free leaf-mould, with sand and a little 

 good loam, are necessary : they delight in a light 

 spongy sort of soil, with good drainage, abundant 

 moisture, and shade. Vinca minor and V. major 

 are too well known to need recommendation ; there 

 are now some finely variegated forms of the larger 

 periwinkle, and a white-flowered kind of the smaller 

 one is not uncommon. 



One of the most precious gems in the British 

 flora is the vernal Gentian (G. verna), which grows in 

 Teesdale and in a few places on the western shores 

 of Ireland. The blue of this flower is of the most 

 vivid and brilliant description ; it is in fact the 

 bluest of the blue, one of the most charming of all 

 Alpine flowers, and should be in every garden of 

 hardy plants. It may be grown well in sandy loam 

 mixed with broken limestone or gravel, and indeed 

 is not very particular as to soil, provided that it be 

 mixed with sharp sand or grit, kept moist, and well 

 drained. A very important point in the cultivation 

 of this plant is to leave it for several years undis- 

 turbed. It is best suited for a snug spot on rockwork, 

 where, however, it should not be placed, unless there 

 is a good body of soil into which its roots may de- 

 scend and where they will find moisture at all times. 

 It cannot be too well known that rockworks, as 



