46 
CHILDREN'S GARDENS 
ii 
. . . gazes on high, 
Till she grew heavenly, 
Blue as the sky. 
Mrs. Hemans. 
And yet this lover of Alpine solitudes will 
live and bloom for us in our gardens, even on 
Hat beds, in parts of England scarcely above 
the sea-level. It is not difficult to arrange to 
give it the soil that suits it, as it will do well 
in any good garden soil that is not too heavy 
(in which case mix some sand with it). On 
the surface of the soil or just below it let there 
be a few small stones, preferably limestone, or 
even bits of lime rubbish from some old build¬ 
ing. It likes plenty of sun, but not to be too 
dry, so if it is in a very hot border it must 
have some water in summer. The easiest to 
grow and the best-known kind is Gentiana 
acaulis, the gentianella, but another smaller 
and vivid blue gentian is verna , which carpets 
the Alpine pastures in spring. This is more 
difficult to establish, but on a rock garden 
or a special corner of a border, where its 
wants in the way of soil, sun, and moisture 
are carefully attended to, it will thrive and 
bloom well. 
A blue flower which likes the shade and 
appears in spring is Omphalodes verna , called the 
“creeping forget-me-not.” Its flowers are larger 
