22 ALPINES AND BOG-PLANTS 



in certain seasons, between tracts of barren years.) Watsoni 

 is a straggler, akin to parviflora, but bigger and far 

 hardier, with round snow-white balls, whose central cone 

 is ringed in by a circle of vivid scarlet anthers. Glauca 

 is a small American shrub, loving wet places, and pro- 

 ducing its creamy, fragrant blossoms in July and August. 

 It has, so far, though a success, been less of a joy to me 

 than Kohus, stellata, and Watsoni, which all do wonders. 

 Kolms is my particular joy. It is an astonishingly dense, 

 vigorous shi-ub, rapidly growing on into a tree ; its flowers 

 are not enormous, nor very solid, but are borne in the 

 most splendid abundance when the tree gets on in years. 

 It is a thing of obviously first-class merit, and I wonder 

 that it has not been more widely proclaimed. As for 

 salicifolia, it is due to have remarkable purity and 

 brilliance and beauty. So far, though, my healthy plants 

 are but babies, and will not flower for some years. All I 

 can say at present is that every part of the plant — 

 leaves, stem, and bark — are deliciously fragrant. And, to 

 conclude, any light cool soil, peaty or not, will suit all 

 these Magnolias. 



Remains now only the race of Knotweeds, to which 

 duty, rather than affection, bids me concede a place in my 

 gardens. I make an exception, however, in favour of 

 Polygonum vaccinifolium, which is a rock-garden plant 

 of very high value, as all who grow it can bear witness — 

 a trailing, rock-hugging mat of woody, small-leafed 

 branches which in autumn are covered with an inexhaust- 

 ible profusion of erect little rosy spikes four inches high 

 or so. Its generosity is no less valuable than its time of 

 blooming, and its exemplary ease and good temper no 

 less conspicuous than either. It grows eagerly in almost 

 any soil, in any open aspect, and multiplies readily when 

 pulled to pieces. As small as this is the linear-leaved 

 P. Emodi, which, however, does not spread so fast or so 



