148 The Wild Garden 



them in or near gardens. Being vigorous they spread freely, 

 and hold their own amongst herbaceous plants and weeds. 

 Masses of them seen in flower in half-shady places in rich 

 soil give a fine effect. There are many species, nearly all of 

 equal value for the wild garden. Coming from the plains and 

 mountains of Siberia and Northern Europe and America, they 

 are among the hardiest of plants. Spreading groups of 

 Aconites in bloom in open spaces in shrubberies have a finer 

 effect than when the plants are tied into bundles in trim borders. 

 The old blue-and-white kind is charming, and attains stately 

 dimensions in good soil. The species grow in any soil, but 

 on cold heavy ones are often somewhat stunted in growth. 



Bugle, .<4y«^«.— Not a very numerous family as represented 

 in gardens, but some of the species are valuable for the wild 

 garden, notably Ajuga genevensis, which thrives freely in 

 ordinary soils in open and half-shady places among dwarf 

 vegetation, and affords beautiful tufts and carpets of blue. 

 It spreads rapidly and is hardy everywhere. The plants 

 mostly come from the cool uplands and hills of the temperate 

 regions of Europe and Asia. 



Yarrow, Achillea. — A numerous family of hardy plants 

 spread through Northern Asia, Italy, Greece and Turkey, 

 Hungary, but more in Southern than in Central or Northern 

 Europe. In the Alps and Pyrenees numerous species are 

 found. The Golden Yarrows (A. Eupatorium and A. fili- 

 pendula) are stately herbaceous plants, with handsome 

 corjmibs of yellow flowers attaining a height of 3 feet or 

 4 feet ; growing freely in anj'' soil, they are well worthy of 

 naturalization. Various other kinds would grow quite as 

 well in plantations and rough places as the common Yarrow. 

 The vigorous white-flowering kinds are fine for shrubberies, 

 where their many white heads of flowers give a pleasing 



