BETWEEN DIANTHUS AND EPILOBIUM 97 



any of these Saponarias, growing them all on sunny 

 banks. 



Of the Gypsophilas, no sane person would admit 

 paniculata or any of the big rampant species to the rock- 

 garden. But repens (or prostrata) is a valuable high- 

 alpine, of the very easiest cultivation, forming immense 

 thick mats of pale pink or white blossom borne in 

 showers just above the succulent-looking greyish foliage. 

 Even this species must be kept away from the choicest 

 pets, but Sundemumni and cerastioeides are both neat 

 little tufted things, with quantities of charming, pink- 

 marked flowers, who may be grown anywhere, even 

 among the smallest treasures. Sundermanni is white, 

 cerastioeides pink with deeper markings. The larger 

 species are sometimes frightful ; — I once had scorzonerae- 

 folia as a present, and vastly plumed myself on such a 

 novelty, until it bloomed, and revealed itself one of the 

 coarsest and least attractive of weeds. 



The Alpine Cerastiums (Chickweeds) are not, somehow, 

 of very easy culture. They have a way of fading from 

 my garden and my memory too. The rare woolly native, 

 Cerastium alpinum, is fairly easy, if it does not damp off 

 in winter, and its big white flowers are pretty. Glaciale 

 is very beautiful indeed, with round snowy blooms that 

 lie about over the moraine. I have collected him times 

 without number, with every care, but he has never lasted 

 long in cultivation. The most generally useful is the 

 white-leaved tomentosum, so abundantly used in grave 

 adornment ; but this is far too rampageous for the rock- 

 garden. And so, really, is Cerastium repens, which I once 

 accepted gratefully, and have waged vain war against ever 

 since. It is a passionately-spreading weed with glossy 

 leaves, and myriads of ragged white flowers, not nearly so 

 fine as those of tomentosum. 



Besides verna and gothica the Arenarias give us one 



a 



