1 68 The Wild Garden 



self-sown seed and may be easily naturalized on warm soils 

 and in sunny places. 



Heath, Erica, Menziesia. — The brilliant Erica carnea is so 

 charming that it well deserves naturalization among our 

 native kinds. The beautiful St. Daboec's heath (Menziesia 

 polifolia), though found in the west of Ireland, is to the 

 majority of English gardens an exotic plant. It will grow 

 almost anywhere in peaty soil. In the country place no kind 

 of gardening is more delightful than the growth in rather 

 bold groups and masses of all hardy Heaths, native or other. 

 It is gardening that may be done in a bold and careless way, 

 and the growth after a few years left to mingle with the grass 

 and other vegetation around. The Heaths beds after a year 

 or two's growth look well throughout the year, and are often 

 beautiful with bloom. Such bold groups would seldom come 

 into the flower-garden, and they are best placed by grass- 

 walks in the pleasure ground preferring open and raised 

 ground. The natural soil for such plants would seem to 

 be peat, but it is not necessary for their culture. At 

 Gravetye where there is no peat I planted many Heaths 

 which did well. 



Barren - wort, Epimedium. — Interesting perennials, with 

 pretty flowers, and finely formed leaves. They like peaty 

 or free moist soils, among low shrubs or on rocky banks. 

 The variety called E. pinnatum elegans, when in deep peat 

 soil, forms tufts of leaves nearly a yard high, and in spring 

 bears long racemes of handsome yellow flowers. 



Globe Thistle, Echinops. — Large perennials of fine port, 

 from 3 feet to 6 feet high, with spiny leaves and numerous 

 flowers in spherical heads. These thrive in almost any position, 

 and hold their ground amid the coarsest vegetation. Of 

 a ' type ' distinct from that of our native plants, they are also 



