388 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



made itself at home, flowering and seeding and producing offsets- 

 abundantly. Drummond's variety exists, while flava, a native 

 of the more southern States, succumbed to the first hard winter. 

 On this level the beautiful Madeira Orchis, 0. foliosa, produces 

 spikes of flowers 18 inches high, whilst I learn that it is almost 

 extinct in Madeira from the effects of two or three dry seasons. The 

 double white and pink Ragged-robins are beautiful in this place ; 

 the tall yellow Meadow-rue, and its purple and other forms, grow 

 and flower freely, as do also the North American Liatrises, with- 

 their noble spikes of dense purple flowers, and our English Bog- 

 bean, or Menyanthes. Borrowing a hint from Kew, we planted 

 the blue Himalayan Poppies (Meconopsis), which have not yet- 

 had time to flower, but evidently intend to do so next season. 

 The finer sorts of Lis Kcempferii are here as well as on the^ 

 margins of the brooks. 



On the sides of the pond are varieties of Osmunda regalis T 

 w T hich have shed their spores in the interstices of the corderoy 

 path; the Alpine Willows, and the fine big-leaved Saxifrages 

 peltata and Hirculus. 



The next lower beds soon became the home of the Japanese- 

 Primula and the Himalayan P. rosea and denticulate/,, which, 

 once planted, seed freely after the manner of biennials. The- 

 alpine Primula xiscosa and other water-loving kinds thrive here. 



The lowest beds of all were made to hold the Spiraeas, of 

 which the most beautiful are S. Aruncus, S. palmata, the- 

 white Spircea Ulmaria plena, and the newer S. astilboides, 

 with its better kind, S. floribunda. The other kinds I give in a 

 list at the end of this paper. The North American Lilies, such- 

 as pardalimim and its varieties, also superbum, give autumn 

 flowers, mingled with the Spiraeas in this bed. The double 

 Cardamine is a weed here carpeting the ground, and the Zebra 

 Reed (Eulalia) is most effective. 



Some very pretty variegated Sedges (Carex) do well in these 

 beds. I am getting Sphagnum established on the wet top bed, or* 

 which no doubt the Sundew will also re-establish itself. I had 

 forgotten one plant which I owe to Mr. Wilson, of Wisley — 

 the large American Cranberry. 



From these remarks I think it is evident that a bog-garden 

 may be made into a useful as well as a very bright and interesting 

 spot, as my High Beech garden has been for some years. Now 



