88 The. Wild Garden 



borders. The warmth of the wood, too, is an ad- 

 vantage, and the fallen leaves help to protect the plants 

 in all ways. In a hot country, plants that love cool 

 places could be grown in a wood, while they would 

 perish if exposed. Mr. G. F. Wilson has made him- 

 self a remarkably interesting wild garden in a wood, 

 from which he sent me in the autumn of 1880 flowering 

 stems of the American Swamp Lily (L. superbum) 

 II feet high. These Lilies grow in a woody bottom 

 where rich dark soil has gathered, and where there 

 is shelter and shade. 



Mr. Wilson sends me (August, 1893) a list of the 

 things that did best in his wood wild garden. Lilium 

 auratum (many thousands), and some of its varieties 

 such as platyphyllum and rubro-vittatum ; Lilium 

 superbum (many), L. pardalinum and varieties, L. 

 Szovitzianum, L. giganteum, L. cordifolium, Leichtlinii, 

 and others in smaller quantities. Iris Kaempferi, raised 

 in most part from seed, in different parts of the garden 

 from 5000 to 6000 clumps. Iris siberica and orientalis in 

 large quantities, and other Irises in smaller numbers. 

 Most of the plants hking heath soil such as heaths 

 Andromeda, Ledum, Gaultheria procumbens, Linnsea 

 borealis, Fyrola, Shortia galacifolia, Galax aphylla, 

 X erophyllum asphodeloides, Gentians — Gentianella, 

 G. septemfida in large quantities, G. asclepiadia blue 

 and white, hundreds of clumps, a number of other 

 Gentians in smaller quantities, and many Hypericums. 

 ' Rhododendrons grow so freely in our wood that we 



