54 THE WILD GARDEN. 
and this could be done best by the greater use of dwarf ever- 
greens. Happily, there is quite enough of these to be had 
suitable for every soil. Light, moist, peaty, or sandy soils, 
where such things as the sweet-scented Daphne Cneorum 
would spread forth its dwarf cushions, would be somewhat 
more desirable than, say, a stiff clay; but for every position 
suitable plants might be found. Look, for example, at what 
we could do with the dwarf-green Iberises, Helianthemums, 
Aubrietias, Arabises, Alyssums, dwarf shrubs, and _ little 
conifers like the creeping Cedar (Juniperus squamata), and 
the Tamarix-leaved Juniper, in spreading groups and colonies. 
All these are green, and would spread out into dense wide 
cushions, covering the margin, rising but little above the 
grass, and helping to cut off the formal line which usually 
divides margin and border. Behind them we might use other 
shrubs, deciduous or evergreen, in endless variety; and of 
course the margin should be varied also as regards height. 
In one spot we might have a wide-spreading tuft of the 
prostrate Savin pushing its graceful evergreen branchlets out 
over the grass; in another the dwarf'little Cotoneasters might 
be allowed to form the front rank, relieved in their turn by 
pegged-down Roses; and so on without end. Herbaceous 
plants, that die down in winter and leave the ground bare 
afterwards, should not be assigned any important position 
near the front. Evergreen Alpine plants and shrubs, as 
before remarked, are perfectly suitable here; but the true 
herbaceous type, and the larger bulbs, like Lilies, should be 
in groups between spreading shrubs. By so placing them, 
we should not only secure a far more satisfactory general 
effect, but highly improve the aspect of the herbaceous plants 
