T]jis soimds^ difficult, but experience soon sliow>s how to suc- 

 ceed. The uuTsery woman had a weakness for Priniuhis, pointing- 

 out tliat there Avere some three hundred varieties, natives of 

 China, Japan, Switzerland and our own North America. I, too, 

 waxed entliusiastic over the half acre of plants she displayed, and 

 filiuf.st turned my rock garden into a Primrose bed. 



First to show its Avhite blossoms in the SiDring is Arabis — 

 double variety being preferable to the single. Another early 

 w eiing plant is the yellow Alyssum, which loves a hot, dry 

 iace. The modern Aubretia, with lime for its food, blooms the 

 eat(>r part of tlie season, its flowers varying from lavender to 

 '>^'.' and deep magenta. 



I>ack of the very low growing j)lants I have rock candytuft 

 Iberis, with groups of Dianthus and Campanula of the rock 

 rii't\ . These last two do not like lime, but flourish in a sandy 

 i). 



r^'.'side one high path is a bunch of Mertensia Virginica, and 

 tlie oj^posite side a row of Pulmonaria, the first bearing blue, 

 !se-r;i)ged flowers and the latter, the LungAvort, with rosy salmon 

 wers, and leaves spotted Avith AAdiite. 



Liihospermum prostratum occupies a gritty loam spot near 

 moLsl corner of the pool, and sends up its brilliant blue floAvers 

 I the Summer. 



Other Summer blooming plants are the Sedums and Phlox 

 •ud LN)ck roses. Myosotis alpestris and dissitiflora are great 

 doomers beside the Ioav bird-liath — also the Viola cornuta of 

 .'laA'ender, Avhite and yelloAv. Bulbs of Crocus, SnoAvdrop, Tulip, 

 Squills and Grape Hyacinth are tucked away among the plants 

 and bh)ssom with them in early Spring. Many roots from the 

 iAN'oods liave found a home in the rock garden— Hepatica, Cypri- 

 pediuui, Parnassia, Trillium, Lupine, Anemone and varieties of 



^"i-US. 



f 



f .vas sorrowful at first, when I realized that I could not pre- 

 sent II ly frifiids Avith garden flowers, as was my pleasure Avlien 

 I had i)erenn-.ol bed, but you should noAV hear the exclamations 



51 



