3 o THE BOOK OF THE WILD GARDEN 



closely to the buried stone surfaces and keeping moist 

 and cool in the scorching summer droughts, while the 

 foliage revels in the hot sunshine, conditions welcomed 

 by Alpine plants and those inhabiting other mountain 

 ranges of the world. Over the edge of the cliff Clematis 

 montana, C. jlammula, the Virgin's Bower, or even the 

 common Traveller's Joy, C. vitalba, may be grown, with 

 Honeysuckle and the trailing Rosa Wichuriana. In the 

 following list some of the dwarfer plants suitable for 

 various sites in the rock garden are briefly alluded to. 



Acana. — A. microphylla is a dwarf carpeting plant 

 useful for trailing over rocks. Though not showy it 

 is pleasing when its small greyish leaves are set off by 

 the globose, red-spined flower-heads. 



Achillea. — The dwarfer species of this race are ex- 

 cellent rock plants, some of the hardier succeeding with 

 a minimum of trouble. Among the most useful are 

 A. tomentosa and A. umbellata, the former bearing yellow 

 flowers and the latter white, its silvery leaves giving it 

 an attractive appearance when out of flower. 



Ajuga. — Low growing perennials bearing short upright 

 flower-stems closely set with blue blossoms. Easy of 

 culture in any soil. A. Brockbanki, a late introduction, 

 i# one of the best. 



Alyssum. — A. saxatile is one of the brightest of our 

 dwarfer spring flowers, covering large spaces of rock- 

 work and stone edging with masses of bright yellow. 

 There is a paler-flowered variety known as citrina. A. 

 maritima, the Sweet Alyssum, now classed as Koeniga, 

 and sometimes known as the Honey Flower from its 

 scent, is generally treated as an annual, but in warm 

 localities it has a perennial habit. 



Androsace. — Charming plants but not always very 

 amenable to culture. Perhaps the most beautiful when 

 in good health is A. lanuginosa with greyish foliage and 

 rosy-mauve flowers. It is seen at its best when hanging 



