British Wild Flowers and Trees 251 



Cowslips, but there is no need to plead for these and 

 their numerous and beautiful varieties. The Bird's 

 Eye Primrose of northern England — one of the sweetest 

 of our native plants — is, however, very rarely seen in 

 gardens. It would thrive well in wet spots on pastures 

 and heaths, and also in bare moist spots by the side of 

 rivulets, and in the bog bed, as would the smaller and 

 beautiful Scotch Bird's Eye Primrose. 



The Loosestrifes, or Lysimachias, are pretty for 

 cultivation ; L. Nummularia, the Creeping Jenny of the 

 London windows, trailing its luxuriant leaves where few 

 other plants would thrive so well. The upright-growing 

 species L. thyrsiflora is good for the margin of water, 

 in consequence of the curious habit it has of half- 

 hiding its flowers among the green of its leaves; 

 a mass of it by a river, or pond,- or ditch, looks very 

 distinct and pleasing. Finally, we have in the Primula 

 order the beautiful Trientalis of the north, a wood 

 plant, and somewhat difficult to cultivate, but one that 

 may be grown in shady and half-shady spots in peat soil. 



Of the Thrift' family, certainly the most valuable 

 plant is a deep and charming rose-coloured variety of 

 the common Thrift (Armeria vulgaris). Everybody 

 knows the Thrift of our sea-shores, and of the tops of 

 some of the Scotch Mountains, with its pale pink 

 flowers ; but the variety named here is of a showy rose, 

 and one of the plants we can use in the spring garden 

 as an edging plant, or in borders. This kind is sold 

 and known as Armeria vulgaris rubra. Any of the 



