250 ALPINES AND BOG-PLANTS 



brown-purple, whose odour is so appalling that during their 

 reign the garden is entirely unapproachable. Similar in 

 name, Asarum now recalls itself to me ; a low-growing 

 race, forming mats of small, rounded, glossy leaves, with 

 small brown bells of blossom huddling round the root. 

 As may be imagined, the beauty of Asarum lies in its 

 foliage; in Sieboldi the leaves are variegated and marbled 

 in more than thirty varieties considered worthy of names 

 by their Japanese admirers. This, with our own native, 

 europaeum, is useful, if not startling, for a cool, out of the 

 way, shady corner in the bog, or near it, but not prominent 

 or choice. 



Notable among minute shrubs for the peaty bog are 

 Kalmia dlpina, Rnbus pedatus, Rubus arcticus, Cornus 

 canadensis. But all these must have a drier corner. The 

 glorious blue showers too of Mertensia, elongata seem to 

 be produced as freely and happily in the wet bog as 

 anywhere else in the garden, so delightfully accommodating 

 is this most blessed of introductions. Virginica requires 

 more care, and a selecter, warmer spot, not near the small 

 things ; primuloeides would seem to be a bog-plant from 

 very great elevations, but must still go from my pages 

 with the verdict non-proven. 



A pretty common annual, which looks after itself in 

 cool shady places, not too choice, is Claytonia perfollaia, 

 which, with its twin virginica, has almost established 

 itself with us as a native. It has glossy, waxy rounded 

 leaves, and delicate loose spikes of pearly stars. But all 

 Americans are not so accommodating as this. Who is 

 there that has not wailed over Viola pedata ? Now Viola 

 pedata is one of the loveliest little plants that has ever 

 timidly set root in our gardens — a small Violet, with 

 claw-like, ferny leaves, resembling those of some choice 

 Pteris, though of a greyish, leathery green. The large 

 flowers are beautifully built and balanced, very freely 



