British Wild Flowers and Trees 237 



as far north, among the higher mountains of Europe 

 and Asia, as the Arctic Circle. It bears garden culture 

 well, on the rock-garden, or in patches in the front of 

 a border, planted in the full sun. 



The meadow (Saxifraga granulata) differs in most 

 respects from most of the other Rockfoils, and is worth 

 growing ; its double variety, seen in cottage gardens, is 

 used for the spring garden. It flowers so well that the 

 very leaves are hidden by large double flowers. It is 

 frequently found in small cottage gardens in Surrey. 



The dense green mossy Rockfoils are precious for 

 the garden, from the living green which they take on 

 in winter, when all else fades — when the fallen leaves 

 rush by, driven by the winds of autumn— and when 

 geraniums and all the fleeting flower-garden things are 

 cut off. These mossy Rockfoils grow on almost any 

 soil or situation, and may be grown with ease even 

 in towns. They are dotted over with white flowers in 

 early summer, the stems of which should be cut off 

 as soon as the flowers perish, but their greatest charm 

 is in winter. S. hypnoides, abundant in Scotland, 

 Wales, and northern England, with its varieties, is 

 our best plant in this way ; and S. Caspitosa, found on 

 some of the higher Scotch mountains, is aUied to it, 

 and also good. In towns shrubs do not keep their 

 verdure, through various adverse influences ; in all 

 places these mossy Rockfoils charm us with their 

 verdure if we take the trouble to put them in bold 

 flakes on the rock-garden or on borders, or to use them 



