The Garden of British Wild Flowers. 207 



and also in borders for bedding out. The 

 flower-stems must be prevented from rising, as it is 

 in the foliage that its beauty consists ; and by- 

 allowing it to flower we of course tend to prevent the 

 spread of the leaves and plant by the roots, or what 

 may in fact be called " lateral extension." Besides, 

 the rising flower-stems would destroy the "fern-like" 

 illusion. Whether British flowers are collected or 

 not, this will prove a decided acquisition to any 

 garden. Do not buy it in the form of a small and 

 sickly plant if you can help it, as it may " go off"" 

 in the winter before becoming established ; and 

 buy it or have it sent in spring — in the month of 

 March or April — when it may be planted in rich 

 light earth, and allowed to grow away at once. It 

 is propagated by division of the roots. 



Most worthy of notice, in the Stellate or Galium 

 tribe, is the little white-flowering Woodruff (Aspe- 

 rula odorata), which bears its white flowers pro- 

 fusely in many British woods in spring, and I have 

 seen it flowering very abundantly among the trees 

 and shrubs round some of the Colleges at Oxford. 

 It should be known to every garden, in consequence 

 of the sweet smell it yields when dried, and kept 

 for a long time. There is no plant more worthy of 

 culture for this purpose alone, the dried stem being 



