Pea, Lathyrus.—Much having been lately written concerning the wild garden and its suitable occupants, I venture to suggest Lathyrus pyrenaicus as an addition to the list. Most cultivators of flowers are aware of the rambling habits of the greater number of plants of the Leguminous tribe, but in that particular L. pyrenaicus eclipses them all. It produces an immense quantity of bright orange–coloured blossoms, but the principal difficulty connected with its thorough development is the selection of an appropriate place for it, for a well–established plant of this species will ramble over, and by its density of growth prevent every plant and shrub that comes within its reach from thriving; indeed, it is a greater rambler than the Hop, the Bindweed, or the Bryony, and is decidedly more handsome. Tying up or training such a plant is out of the question; but there are many rough places in the wild garden where it would be quite at home and form an attractive feature. Every kind of Everlasting Pea is excellent for the wild garden, either for scrambling over hedgerows, stumps, or growing among the grass.—J. W.[ill148]
Everlasting Pea, creeping up stem in shrubbery.
Monkey–flower, Mimulus.—“Wandering one day in the neighbourhood of “Gruigfoot,” a queer–shaped hill in Linlithgowshire, my eye was attracted by a small burn whose banks were literally jewelled throughout its visible course with an unfamiliar yellow flower. A nearer approach showed me that it was the garden Mimulus (Monkey–flower), the seed of which must have escaped from some neighbouring cottage garden, and established itself here, in the coldest part of the British Isles. I took the hint, and have naturalised it by the banks of a small stream which runs at the foot of my garden, and I strongly recommend your readers to do the same. It mingles charmingly with the blue Forget–me–not, and is equally hardy.”—S. in Garden.
Grape Hyacinth, Muscari.—These free and hardy little bulbs are easily naturalised and very handsome, with their little spikes of flowers of many shades of blue.
Forget–me–not, Myosotis.—There is one exotic species, M. dissitiflora, not inferior in beauty to any of our handsomest native kinds, and which is well worthy of naturalisation everywhere, thriving best on moist and sandy soil.[ill149]
Type of fine–leaved umbellate plants seldom grown in gardens.
Molopospermum cicutarium.—There is a deep green and fern–like beauty displayed profusely by some of the Umbelliferous family, but I have rarely met with one so remarkably attractive as this species. It is a very ornamental plant, with large, deeply–divided leaves of a lively green colour, forming a dense irregular bush. The flowers, which are insignificant and of a yellowish–white colour, are borne in small roundish umbels. Many of the class, while very elegant, perish quickly, get shabby indeed by the end of June, and are therefore out of place in the flower garden; but this is firm in character, of a fine rich green, stout yet spreading in habit, growing more than 3 feet high, and making altogether a most pleasing bush. It is perfectly hardy, and easily increased by seed or division, but rare as yet. It loves a deep moist soil, but will thrive in any good garden soil. It is a fine subject for isolation or grouping with other hardy and graceful–leaved Umbelliferous plants.
Stock, Matthiola.—Showy flowers, mostly fragrant, peculiarly well suited for old ruins, chalk pits, stony banks, etc. Some of the annual kinds are pretty, and some of the varieties common in gardens assume a bush–like character when grown in the positions above named. With the Stocks may be associated the single rocket (Hesperis matronalis), which thrives freely in shrubberies and copses.