24 ROYAL GARDENS 



Several of the species I have planted in the walls, where they 

 have seeded and are forming colonies which will make a very 

 fragrant feature in the garden in the near future. 



The Gentian family are not altogether a success here, 

 though several of the species do well. G. acaulis grows well 

 enough into big clumps, but its glorious blue flowers are 

 sparingly produced, and somewhat disappointing. It seems to 

 be a very capricious plant, growing and flowering freely in 

 some gardens with the minimum of attention, and in others, 

 where it is given the utmost care, scarcely deigning to produce 

 a single blossom. G. verna after many attempts is at last 

 growing well, and flowers freely here, planted in a very sandy 

 loam, with old mortar added. I top-dress it immediately after 

 flowering with the same kind of compost (though without the 

 addition of the old mortar rubble), this taking the place of the 

 short grasses it is usually found growing amongst in its native 

 home. G. asclepiadsa also grows and flowers well, annually 

 making a fine show. So, too, does septemfida. Several others 

 which I have grown from seeds are making fine clumps, and 

 should flower profusely in the course of a year or two. 



Haberleas and Ramondias go well together, both delight- 

 ing in the same conditions of soil and atmosphere : a cool root 

 run of peat and loam being essential. 



Irises are such an important family that no garden is com- 

 plete without a few of them. There is a fairly representative 

 collection here, both of the bulbous and rhizomatous sections. 

 I generally manage to gather a few blooms of histrioides 

 early in the year, following on with reticulata, orchioides, and 

 others in due course. I. lacustris is a gem, growing at the 

 most not more than 3 inches ; this also applies to I. rubro- 

 marginata, the foliage of which is beautifully margined with 

 purplish crimson. It is one of the rare Iris, and is doing well 

 here, in a very sunny place, where a fair amount of moisture 

 can be given during its season of growth. 



Lithospermums are what might be termed some of the 

 indispensable plants for rock gardens, especially the beautiful 

 variety prostratum. Who that has once seen a plant of this 



