174 ALPINES AND BOG-PLANTS 



seed, and out of a batch I raised a year or two ago I was 

 horrified to find that half my cherished nurslings bore 

 blossoms of a pallid, dirty pink, a hundred tones removed 

 from the rich splendour of the normal palmata. As for 

 the albino, it is beautiful of course, creamy and opulent. 

 But there are many good white Spiraeas, and the white 

 palmata is not as conspicuous among whites as the type 

 is among the pinks. 



If palmata approaches nearer to gigantea in habit, 

 lobata (or venusta) approaches nearer to ulmaria. Venusta 

 is a Meadow-sweet of frail and slender growth, lacking 

 the weed-like robustness and luxuriance of its kindred. 

 Not that it is in any way capricious or difficult ; any cool 

 soil will please it. But certainly it does not form masses, 

 spread, seed, and increase like its relatives, always pre- 

 serving a certain spindly, fragile look about its isolated 

 stems. In flower, however, venusta dominates its race, 

 and utterly eclipses all thought of rivalry. By the side 

 of vemcsta the pinks of palmata and digitata become pale 

 and dingy; for the foaming crown of venusta is of a 

 violent dazzling carmine, richly brilliant and pure as the 

 juice of red currants. I know no albino of venusta, nor 

 desire to, the type being unsurpassable. 



Spiraea japonica heads another group of herbaceous 

 Spiraeas which are all as easy as the Meadow-sweets, and 

 very valuable for smaller, choicer corners of the damp 

 garden. These are dwarf in habit, and adapted for 

 planting in isolated crowns and specimens, their plumed 

 grace appearing to the best advantage so, at some com- 

 manding point in the garden's scheme. Japonica itself, 

 the commonest of plants for forcing, is no less precious 

 and beautiful for the open ground. It is imperturbably 

 robust and hardy, requiring no attention from year to 

 year. Each season reappear anew its lovely dark-green 

 glossiness of fern-like foliage, and then the loose. 



