122 THE WILD GARDEN. 
Bugle, Ajuga—Not a very numerous family so far as represented 
in gardens, but some of the species are valuable for the wild garden, 
notably Ajuga genevensis, which thrives freely in ordinary soils in 
open and half-shady places among dwarf vegetation, and affords 
beautiful tufts and carpets of blue. It spreads rapidly and is hardy 
everywhere. The plants mostly come from the cool uplands and hills 
of the temperate regions of Europe and Asia. 
Yarrow, Achillea—A numerous family of hardy plants spread 
through Northern Asia, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Hungary, etc. but 
more in Southern than in Central or Northern Europe. In the Alps 
and Pyrenees numerous species are found. The Golden Yarrows (A. 
Eupatorium and A. filipendulina) are stately herbaceous plants, with 
broad handsome corymbs of brilliantly showy flowers, attaining a height 
of 3 feet or 4 feet, and growing freely in any soil. These are well 
worthy of naturalisation. Various other Achilleas would grow 
quite as well in copses and rough places as the common Yarrow, 
but we know of none more distinct and brilliant than the preceding. 
The vigorous white-flowering kinds are superb for shrubberies, where 
their numerous white heads of flowers produce a singularly pleasing effect 
under the trees in summer. With few exceptions these plants have 
never been grown out of botanic gardens, many of them being thought 
too coarse for the mixed border. They are, nevertheless, remarkably 
beautiful both in flower and foliage, and many effects never before seen 
in gardens may be obtained by massing them under trees in shrubberies 
or copses, as a rule allowing one species to establish itself in each place 
and assume an easy natural boundary of its own. The small Alpine 
species would be interesting plants for stony or bare rocky places. 
Allium—A most extensive genus of plants scattered in abundance 
throughout the northern temperate and alpine regions of Europe and 
Asia, and also in America. Some of the species are very beautiful, 
so much so as to claim for them a place in gardens notwithstanding 
their disagreeable odour. It is in the wild garden only, however, that 
this family can find a fitting home ; there species that do not seem 
attractive enough for the garden proper would afford novel effects at 
certain seasons, One of the most desirable effects to produce in the 
wild garden would be that of the beautiful white Narcissus-like Allium 
of the south of Europe (A. neapolitanum). The sheets of this in the 
Lemon orchards of Provence will be remembered with pleasure by 
many travellers. It would thrive in warm and sandy soils: there is an 
wlied species (A. ciliatum) which does well in any soil, affords a 
