DECEMBER 166 



Alpine Rhododendrons, Gaultheria, and Andromeda, with 

 drifts of hardy ferns between, and only a few " soft " 

 plants. But of these, two are now conspicuously 

 noticeable for foliage — the hardy Cyclamens and the 

 blue Himalayan Poppy {Meconopsis Wallichii). Every 

 winter I notice how bravely the pale woolly foliage of 

 this plant bears up against the early winter's frost 

 and wet. 



The wood-walk, whose sloping banks are planted 

 with hardy ferns in large groups, shows how many of 

 our common kinds are good plants for the first half 

 of the winter. Now, only a week before Christmas, the 

 Male Fern is still in handsome green masses ; Blechnum 

 is still good, and common Poljrpody at its best. The 

 noble fronds of the Dilated Shield-fern are still in 

 fanly good order, and Ceterach, in rocky chinks is in 

 fullest beauty. Beyond, in large groups, are prosper- 

 ous-looking tufts of the Wood-rush (Luztda sylvatica) ; 

 then there is wood as far as one can see, here mostly 

 of the silver-stemmed Birch and rich green Holly, with 

 the woodland carpet of dusky low-toned bramble and 

 quiet dead leaf and brilliant moss. 



By the middle of December many of the evergreen 

 shrubs that thrive in peat are in full beauty of foliage. 

 Andromeda Cateshcei is richly coloured with crimson 

 clouds and splashes ; Skimmias are at their best and 

 freshest, their bright, light green, leathery foUage defy- 

 ing all rigours of temperature or weather. Pernettyas 

 are clad in their strongest and deepest green leafage. 



