AZURE AND BLUE FLOWERS IN THE WILD GARDEN 49 



that of the Apennine kind, and therefore not so 

 risky to transplant in a dry state. This, until it 

 becomes more plentiful, should be associated with 

 the choicer smaller and earlier Narcissi. Until that 

 time comes the rock garden or some of the choicer 

 banks for the dwarfer Narcissi would be its best 

 place ; but there is no delicacy about it, and it is 

 sure to increase wherever encouraged, and is a plant 

 charming for its associations as well as for its beauty, 

 many of the hill-sides round Athens being covered 

 with it in the spring. 



The Hepatica. — An Anemone of the moun- 

 tains of Europe and mountainwoods of America, the 

 Hepatica is one of the most free of early flowers, 

 and I think the wild blue forms of it are by far the 

 prettiest. Where in half shrubby places, in gritty and 

 open soils, these plants do well they could hardly be 

 surpassed in beauty of colour, particularly the single 

 blue form of the common Hepatica. Equally im- 

 portant is the larger H. angulosa, which has not yet 

 broken into varieties, and so the one we have is a 

 good colour and free enough in many soils. 



The Pasque Flower. — On chalk the lovely 

 flowers of the Pasque Flower {A. Pulsatilla) is likely 

 to be most precious for the wild garden. Chalk soils, 

 however, are not necessary, because if we put in 

 vigorous young plants of this it will grow almost 

 anywhere ; but the most beautiful colour and the 

 greatest abundance of flower on this plant is when 

 seen on chalky soil, and in this our country is rich. 



Lastly, we come to what many consider the best 

 of all, that is, the azure-blue Windflower [A. Robin- 

 soniana~). This has an advantage on the blue Wind- 

 flower in being as tar as known a variety of a native 

 plant, and therefore more enduring in severe wea- 

 ther ; there is nothing that can surpass it in vigour, 

 constancy, freedom of bloom, and refined colour. 

 Larger in its parts than our common Wood Ane- 

 mone, it is often more free to grow in poor stiff 

 soils. It flowers about the mid-season of Narcissus, 

 and thrives easily in grass or in conditions common 

 about us, so that we can make the most charming of 

 carpets from which handsome groups of Narcissus 

 might spring. The many graceful novelties among 

 Daffodils raised of late years might well be planted 

 in or near carpets or groups of it. 



Forget-me-Nots (Myosotis). — In considering 

 the blue flowers of the northern world in spring we 

 must not neglect the Forget-me-Nots, of which, per- 

 haps, the most charming for the wild garden is the 

 common or true Forget-me-Not. As wild gardening 

 will be so often and so readily carried out near a 

 streamlet, a pond, or a lake, many opportunities 

 will occur of associating the Forget-me-Not with 

 plants likely to grow on the margin of water ; and 

 among these the Narcissi are among the chief, as we 

 often find them growing on the margin of water 



and giving their best effects there. In such a case, 

 any boy can dot round pieces of Forget-me-Not 

 and establish it. The common Forget-me-Not comes 

 later than the Narcissus, but one very pretty one 

 flowers about the same time and is excellent for our 

 purpose, and that is the Swiss perennial Forget-me- 

 Not (M. dissitiflora). This, though a perennial, in 

 our mild and open winters, is apt to overgrow itself 

 and disappear without leaving much trace, unless we 

 take care to give it a place where it cannot do so, 

 that is to say, on some grassy bank where there is 

 little competition with other things, as we have late- 

 ly seen it growing at Forde Abbey. It is a plant of 

 charming colour and a fitting companion for the 

 choicest Narcissi. As lovely as any is the wood For- 

 get-me-Not (M. sylvatka), which, in half-shady or 

 woody places, is among the fairest flowers of the 

 spring ; and, as in such places we may often grow 

 Narcissi to the best effect, that is the place for their 

 association. This Forget-me-Not is very apt to 

 sow itself and go on from year to year, and in good, 

 moist soils will grow as high as 18 inches : it is a 

 lovely thing for cutting for the house. The way to 

 increase it is from seed, and, by the way, the seed 

 is not always good that is sold. 



Wood Hyacinths (Scilla). — The group which 

 gives us our beautiful Wood Hyacinths must not 

 be neglected in the wild garden, the most impor- 

 tant kind being the Spanish Wood Hyacinth, very 

 free in open soils. Much earlier in the year the 

 Taurian Scilla is effective and good in colour ; 

 the Siberian Scilla, too, is vigorous and blooms for 

 a longer season than most kinds, thriving well in 

 heavy soils, which all exotic bulbs do not. It may 

 not run through the soil as quickly as many things 

 do, but it is very important for certain effects. 

 Allied to the Scillas are the Snow Glories (Chiono- 

 doxas), certainly the most precious among hardy 

 bulbs of these colours that have been introduced 

 in our time — distinct, very pretty, and extremely 

 free and hardy. I think certainly the most lovely 

 flowers among blues brought to our country of re- 

 cent years is one, C.giganlea, which, when established 

 on heavy soil, gives us not only good colour, but a 

 play of different colours in the same flower. We 

 do not know if these plants will run through the 

 grass as rapidly as the Apennine Windflower or 

 Blue-eyed Mary, but they are well worth trying and 

 encouraging in the wild garden. 



Omphiloides. — This is almost a Forget-me- 

 Not, a charming wild garden plant, hardy anywhere 

 and spreading about in a modest way among the 

 Primroses or common dwarf plants. It is most 

 excellent for association with the choicest Daffodils 

 of the mid and early season. In some free soils in 

 Ireland it runs about like a common weed, and 

 there are acres of it at Carton. 



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