140 ALPINES AND BOG-PLANTS 



a year your soil will be packed tight with the matted 

 macaroni of its dreadful roots, and you will never, never 

 be clear of it again, for it is worse than Goutweed, worse 

 than Willow-herb, worse even than Coltsfoot itself. Con- 

 volvulus Soldcmella, from our own shingles, has not made 

 any show here; and, saddest tale of all, mauritanicus, 

 fragile trailer, with wreaths of azure megaphones, is not of 

 certain hardiness here, though eleven miles off, in West- 

 moreland, plants from my own garden mock at me by 

 their brilliant persistence. Yet again, more beautiful 

 than even this must be that very notable rock-plant 

 C. sabatius, found only in one place in the whole world — 

 between the crannies of the Cape of Nola, on the Riviera. 

 Here also, and here only, lives Campanula Jloribunda, and 

 I have never possessed either. However, let us hope the 

 Campanula has no special merit, enters into no rivalry 

 with my two prized novelties, raddeana and wmabilis. Rad- 

 deana has proved itself a perfect jewel — lovely, delicate, 

 exquisite, with showers of purple hairbells, and a charm- 

 ing, persistent habit of increasing from year to year. 

 Amabilis is much larger, pleasant as its name ; a stout 

 rosette, with three foot spires, loose and graceful, of big 

 shallow cups, soft blue, with a dark pui-ple eye. 



Of the Acanthuses I have the latifolius variety of 

 mollis, the most splendid of all foliage plants, not except- 

 ing the huge Gunneras and Giant Rhubarbs. But mollis 

 is not quite happy here, at least not as rampant as in 

 rather softer places. In Westmoreland and the Lake- 

 country, that soaking Himalya-paradise for tlie gardener, 

 it makes glorious glossy banks, which are as admirable as 

 anything I know. Here it thrives quite sufficiently, but 

 not, so far, with any wild enthusiasm. However, the 

 Acanthus needs time to establish himself, so I still nourish 

 hope. Then I have Candelabrum, reputed a fine, sturdy 

 kind, and a dwarf species called roseus, Perringi, or Caroli 



