Colour and later against a sheet of golden Buttercups. In April some 
Grouping early pink Tulips, Rosine, Van Gooyen, and Murillo looked 
of Tulips well against the Iris in the same border. But as these pink, 
semi-double Tulips last till the Darwins open, another year I 
mean to try the effect of early white ones instead; to me there 
is something entrancing about the cool mauve tones of the 
Darwins alone, and it seems a pity to spoil their unusually chaste 
and sober colouring. On the other side of the garden, on a 
stretch of ground partly shadowed by big trees, was another 
picture in the same scheme of colour but in rather more brilliant 
tones. The surface was covered with Aubrietia, Alyssum, and 
double Arabis; through these broke tall heads of the semi- 
double Tulip, Blue Flag, and the gold and orange-tinted double 
Yellow Rose. ‘This latter Tulip hangs its head, but the golden 
flowers rested upon the white Arabis, and looked the more 
beautiful for the surrounding white sprays. 
The three trailing plants mentioned above all belong to 
the same order Crucifere, and are very suitable for growing 
together. For weeks before the Tulips were out they had 
spread their sheet of flowers. Wonderfully do they grow on rough 
hard ground, sapped perhaps by many tree roots! All three 
are very easily increased, and once established can be left alone 
for years. Cuttings should be made of Aubrietia in the spring, 
or seed, sown at the same time, will make good plants for putting 
out in the autumn, but the seed is apt to come untrue, and shades 
of pink and magenta may appear with the mauve. Some of 
the named new sorts are well worth having, such as Pritchard’s 
A 1, a full violet, which gives a strong touch of colour to the 
bed. 
Alyssum saxatile is of a more shrubby, branching growth, 
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