266 The Wild Garden 



almost everywhere in the British Islands, is one of the 

 freest to grow in a garden ; it makes large tufts of great 

 beauty in stiff ground. Lately nurserymen have been 

 offering a plant described as a variety of this, under the 

 name of O. maculata superba. This is in reality the 

 true British Orchis latifolia, a noble species, easy to 

 grow in a moist spot, and having large spikes of bloom. 

 O. militaris and O. fusca are among the handsomest of 

 our Orchids ; but all are interesting, from the early 

 spotted O. mascula to the Butterfly Orchis, both of 

 which are of easy culture in a garden. Perhaps the 

 rarest and finest of all the British Orchids is the 

 Lady's Slipper, nearly if not extinct. Some of our 

 nurserymen supply it, and they get their supplies from 

 the Continent, where it is a widely distributed plant. 

 It should be planted in broken limestone and fibrous 

 loam, on the eastern side of a rockwork. When well 

 grown it is a beautiful plant, quite as much so as some 

 of the Cypripediums grown in the Orchid house, but, 

 being perfectly hardy, is far more interesting for the 

 British garden. The most important thing with regard 

 to the Orchids is the procuring of them in a suitable 

 state for planting. When they are gathered in a wild 

 state, the roots should be taken up as carefully as 

 possible, and transferred to their garden home quickly 

 and safely. They are very often sold in markets, but 

 the roots are mutilated, not only from careless taking 

 up, but from being tightly bound with matting. 



In the Grass family the common Ribbon Grass 



