348 



THE GARDENER'S ASSISTANT. 



type of spring garden. In the smaller class of 

 gardens there may be little room for the wild 

 garden, but in the larger gardens where there 

 is ample room on the outer fringes of the lawn, 

 in grove, park, copse, or by woodland walks or 

 drives, new and beautiful effects may be created 

 by its means." — (W. Robinson.) 



A meadow overrun with Cowslips, a planta- 

 tion carpeted with the Wood or Apennine 

 Anemones or with Bluebells, a shady bank 

 with Primroses, a marsh aglow with Kingcups, 

 a "waving sea of Daffodils" in copse or grove. 

 These are pictures which in nature everyone 

 can admire, and which have an equal charm 

 in the garden. There are scores of exotics 

 which are happy and most effective when 

 treated in this same way. 



The selection of plants must be according 

 to circumstances as to position and conditions. 

 Some knowledge of the nature of the soil to 

 be planted is necessary, so that the plants 

 chosen may be only such as are likely to be- 

 come permanently established in it. A few 

 experiments on a small scale might be made 

 with a view to finding out what plants would 

 thrive, before large quantities are put in. in 

 planting, care to avoid a formal arrangement 

 in regard to distance apart or outline of group 

 is essentfal to a natural effect. An iron crow- 

 bar to make holes for the bulbs or tubers is as 

 a rule the best planting-tool, one man to make 

 the holes, and another to follow, dropping bulbs 

 into them and filling them up with a hand- 

 ful of easily-manipulated soil. Such things as 

 Daffodil, Crocus, Snowdrop, Fritillaria, Blue- 

 bell, Winter Aconite, Chionodoxa, Colchicum, 

 Cyclamen, Tulip, and Snownake are best planted 

 in this way. Late autumn is the best time of 

 year to plant all bulbs and tubers. Such plants 

 as Primrose, Cowslip, Forget-me-not, Poppy, 

 Foxglove, (Enothera, Golden Rod, Epilobium, 

 and Viola are most conveniently raised from 

 seeds sown in early spring. Care will be neces- 

 sary for a month or two after germination to 

 keep the seedlings from being smothered by 

 rival plants. 



Beautiful effects are obtainable by the plant- 

 ing of shrubs, both deciduous and evergreen, 

 in this natural style. A bank covered with a 

 tangle of Brier Rose or Honeysuckle; an irre- 

 gular group of Mezereum Daphne on the out- 

 skirts of a plantation; a bold arrangement of 

 Forsythia, Broom, Spiraea, Japanese Cydonia, 

 Azalea, and such-like shrubs are easily-formed 

 picturesque features worthy of any garden. 

 From what has been said, it will be evident 



to the gardener of taste that not only may the 

 wild garden be made a thing of delight and 

 interest, but that its methods afford the best 

 of all ways for showing many plants to the 

 greatest advantage. 



Select Herbaceous and Alpine Plants. 



Acaena. — A genus of shrubby trailers, with incon- 

 spicuous flowers, but succeeded by pretty spiny fruits. 

 They are useful for covering rocks and ground beneath 

 Pine-trees, as the pretty bronze or gray pinnate leaves 

 are very ornamental. A mixture of sandy loam and peat 

 suits them best, and propagation is effected by cuttings 

 under a hand-glass, divisions, or seed. 



A. microphylla (fig. 419). Reddish, trailer. New Zealand. 



Fig. 410— Acnenn microphylla. 



Acantholimon. — Dwarf tufted evergreens, with rigid 

 and needle-shaped leaves. The flowers are arranged in 

 a loose sjjike similar to those of Statice. They like plenty 

 of sunshine, and any ordinary soil suits them. Propagated 

 by cuttings, under glass. 



A. glumaceum. Rose-pink, 3 inches. Asia Minor. 

 A. venustum. Ruse, 4 inches. Asia Minor. 



Acanthus. — Stately border plants, with large laciniate 

 leaves and characteristic tall spikes of flowers. They 

 are very effective, and besides being very useful for the 

 border, make ornamental subjects for beds on lawns and 

 woodlands. They recpuire a deep soil and plenty of sun. 

 Propagated by seed. 



.4. candelabrus. Purple and white, lj to 3 feet. 



A. longifolias. Purple and white, 3 feet. South Europe. 



.4. mollis. White, 3 feet. South Europe. 



Achillea. — A large genus, commonly known as Milfoils. 

 The neat silvery-leaved species, such as A . Clavennce and 

 A. umbellata, are pretty for the rockery, and A. Mille- 

 folium, var. roseum, and A. Ptarmica, "The Pearl", are 

 excellent for the border, the latter being good for cutting, 

 as the flowers are pure white and elegant. Increased by 

 division in spring. Some of the species are apt to become 

 weedy if not kept within bounds. 



A. Clavennce. White, 6 inches. Europe. 



-4. Millefolium, var. roseum. Deep rose, 3 feet. 



A. Ptarmica, vars. White, 2 feet. 



A. rupestris. White, silvery foliage. 3 inches. Tyrol. 



A. tomentosa. Bright yellow, 6 inches. Europe, Northern 

 Asia. 



A. umbellata. White, 4 inches. Greece. 



Aconitum. — Ornamental, tall, free- flowering plants, 

 with hooded irregular flowers in dense, erect racemes. 



