HERBACEOUS PLANTS. 161 



ance. All are not hardy, but frame protection is 

 sufficient to preserve them through the winter ; and 

 they well repay the trouble. Many hardy species 

 are rarely found in cultivation in this country ; but a 

 fev shillings will import a choice assortment from 

 Europe, where both florists and amateurs fully 

 appreciate the beauty of these charming plants. 



The Claytonia. 



Two of the species, O. virginica and caroliniana, 

 are pretty, spring-blooming plants, whiclr succeed 

 well in any deep, rich soil. The root is a small 

 tuber, from which" in early spring a slender stem 

 arises, bearing two leaves, and terminated by a 

 raceme of delicate pink blossoms, deeply veined with 

 darker shades. 



Plants procured from the woods and once estab- 

 lished take care of themselves, and increase both by 

 root and seed. 



The Scilla. 



All the exotic SquUls are better suited to the bulb 

 border than the Rhododendron-bed, as they require 

 rather a light and sandy soil. 



The best is S. sibirica, with deep blue flowers in 

 early spring : a plant which is worth every trouble 

 to have in perfection. 



A clump of this is in place anywhere in the gar- 

 den, and it would be difficult to name a more spark- 

 ling floral gem. 



