Hardy Exotic Flowering Plants 163 



or other warm soil. C. vernum, C. Coum, and C. repandum, 

 are also well worthy of trial. Nothing can be more agree- 

 able to the lover of hardy plants than endeavouring to 

 naturalize these charming flowers, now rarely seen out of 

 the greenhouse. The best positions would be among dwarf 

 shrubs, that would afford slight shelter, on banks or sunny 

 open spots in copses or woods. Bare or dug borders they 

 abhor, and a sunny warm exposure should be chosen. In 

 the case of C. hedersefolium (and perhaps some of the 



CyCLAMENS in the wild garden : fromnature. 



Others) ground under trees, bare, or with a very scant vege- 

 tation, would do quite well if the soil were free and warm. 



The Giant Sea-kale, Crambe. — C. cordifolia is a fine 

 perennial, but its place is on the turf in rich soil. It has 

 enormous leaves, and small whitish flowers in panicles. 

 It is one of the finest plants in a wild garden in Oxford- 

 shire of about 5 acres, associated with Rheums, Ferulas, 

 Gunneras, Centaurea babylonica, Arundo Donax, and 

 Acanthus. 



Bindweed, Calystegia. — Climbers, with handsome white 

 or rosy flowers, often too vigorous to be agreeable in 

 gardens. C. dahurica, larger than the common kind, is 



M 2 



