240 The Wild Garden 



near the largest willows. The Uttle native Cornel is 

 a charming alpine and bog plant. Our native woodbine 

 appeals to all, so I need hardly tell of its beauty : the 

 value of our native Viburnums is not so well known — 

 few shrubs of any countries are so handsome in blossom 

 and berry as the Water Elder (V. Opulus) — so called in 

 some of the home counties, from its frequence on river 

 banks, though common too in underwoods. The other 

 is the wayfaring tree (V. Lantana) common in hedge- 

 rows in the south, its berries conspicuous in autumn. 



Our native Heaths. Of the variety and beauty of 

 our native heaths few have much idea. The wild 

 species are beautiful ; from time to time varieties have 

 appeared amongst them which nurserymen haye pre- 

 served ; and in a collection of these, the variety of gay 

 colour is charming. I had no idea of the beauty of 

 colour afforded by the varieties till I visited the comely 

 bank nurseries at Edinburgh a few years ago, and there 

 found a large area of ground covered with their exquisite 

 colours, and looking like a beautiful flower garden. But 

 if all this beauty did not exist, the charms of the common 

 species, as spread out even on our southern heaths, 

 should lead us to give the heaths a good place in the 

 picturesque garden. 



All species and varieties are worthy of a place, be- 

 ginning with the varieties of the common ling (Calluna 

 vulgaris) — the commonest of all heaths. It has ' sported ' 

 into a great number of varieties, many of which are 

 preserved in nurseries. Some of them are bright and 



