i6o 



The Wild Garden 



positions it endures much longer than on the level ground, and 

 becomes a long-lived perennial with a shrubby base. Grows 

 apace on old bridges, banks, chalk pits, and on stone heaps. 



Knap-weed, Centaurea. — Vigorous perennial or annual 

 plants, seldom so pretty as autumn-sown plants of our corn 

 bluebottle (C. Cyanus). They are scarcely important enough 

 for borders; hence the wild garden is the place for them. 

 Among the best are macrocephala, montana, babylonica, and 

 uniflora, the last being more suitable for banks. 



Mouse-ear, Cerastium. — Dwarf plants with many white 



flowers. Half 



SM^lissi-'V^i ^ dozen or more 

 of the kinds 

 have silvery 

 leaves, and will 

 grow in any 

 position where 

 they are not 

 choked by 

 coarser plants. 

 Wallflower, 

 Cheiranthus. ■ — 



The varieties of the common Wallflower have great beauty 

 for rocky places and old walls. The clear yellow Erysimum 

 ochroleucum is very like a wallflower in tjrpe, and thrives 

 well in dry sandy places. With these might be associated 

 Vesicaria utriculata. 



Meadow Saffron, Colchicum. — In addition to the Meadow 

 Saffron, dotted over the moist fields in various parts of 

 England, there are several other species that could be 

 naturalized in grassy places, and they would be useful 

 where plants that flower in autumn are sought. 



The foliafte of the MEADOW SAFFBON in Sprinft. 



