146 ALPINES AND BOG-PLANTS 



own convictions, and I will honestly say that Nature not 

 only can be both, but very frequently chooses to be so ; 

 so that real treasures are in an inconsiderable minority. 

 As for the exalted truth that the emancipated mind can 

 see beauties in Groundsel or Dead nettle, not for one 

 moment will I deny it. But its prophets in popular 

 literature seem too often to speak academically, as wor- 

 shippers of the ideal, rather than as horticulturists with 

 actual earthly, earthy gardens to cultivate ; and as my 

 book, no less than my garden, aims at dealing simply with 

 the cultivation of obviously beautiful, interesting plants, I 

 will reverently waive aside for the time this abstract doc- 

 trine of immanent, universal beauty, and content myself 

 with the concrete, everyday beauty as the everyday 

 garden can fitly contain it. The blessed Elizabeth actu- 

 ally talks about the 'loveliness of Cow-Parsley, that most 

 spiritual of weeds.' But had Elizabeth ever tried Cow- 

 Parsley in her German garden ? I think not. Nor, to 

 do her justice, would she, I believe, claim to admire it 

 out of its place. So, thank goodness, we are really 

 at one. 



The noble family among the Fig-worts is undoubtedly 

 that of the Pentstemons. These are all, as far as I know, 

 Americans, and range from north to south, from hill to 

 valley, from leafy coarseness to the extremest and most 

 delicate beauty. Many, too, hailing from countries where 

 the sterner winters are what we should call a warm July, 

 prove sad and unhappy in our gardens. But both beautiful 

 and happy, even with me, is bushy P. Scouleri, with pro- 

 fusion of large pale purple snapdragons. But far more 

 beautiful than this, almost lovelier than anything else I 

 know, is my latest novelty Pentstemon heterophyllits. This 

 is a slender, graceful growet reaching perhaps to eighteen 

 inches. The foliage is HS^ity and refined ; the flowers 

 appear from July onwards, in very loose, elegant spires — 



