i8 The Wild Garden 



beautiful. This Anemone is hardy, and always grows 

 freely in grass, and never deteriorates. In Greece this 

 year I saw on the mountains acres of the blue Greek 

 Anemone, and think it is equally as hardy and as free as 

 the Italian one, and quite as useful for naturalization in 

 the grass. The simplicity of the culture of plants like 

 this, which thrive in meadow grass, and the foliage of 

 which withers before the grass need be mown for hay, 

 makes them a most important group, as so much 

 meadow grass comes near most country houses. A very 

 great number of the spring flowers of the northern 

 world may be treated in this manner, and give us 

 beautiful spring gardens. 



The most important group of all these early flowers 

 is the Narcissus. Five years ago I planted many 

 thousands in the grass. I never doubted that I should 

 succeed with them, but I did not know I should succeed 

 nearly so well. They have thriven admirably, bloomed 

 well and regularly, the flowers are large and handsome, 

 and, to my surprise, have not diminished in size. In 

 open, rich, heavy bottoms, along hedgerows, in quite 

 open loamy fields, in every position I have tried them. 

 They are delightful when seen near at hand, and also 

 effective in the picture. The leaves ripen, disappear 

 before mowing time comes, and do not in any way 

 interfere with farming. The harrowing and rolling of 

 the fields in the spring are a little against the foliage, 

 and probably a better result could be obtained with the 

 finer Narcissus by wood walks and open copses, which 



