Page:The Wild Garden William Robinson.djvu/33

 years, and find it more beautiful than ever on his return. As much may be said of all the other combinations which I suggest.

I will now endeavour to illustrate my meaning by showing what may be done with a few diverse types of northern vegetation. We will take the Forget-me-not order to begin with, and as that is one far from being as rich as others in subjects suited for naturalization, the reader may be able to form some idea of what we may do, in this way, by selecting from the numerous families of plants that grow in the meadows and mountain-woods of Europe, Asia, and America.

The Forget-me-not or Borage family is a well-marked and well-known one, containing a great number of coarse and ugly weeds, but which, if it included only the common Forget-me-not among its beauties, would have some claims to our attention. Many persons are not acquainted with more than a couple of the Forget-me-nots ; but what lovely exotic plants there are in this order that would afford delight if met with creeping about along our wood and shrubbery walks ! Nature, say some, is sparing of her deep true blues, and generally spreads them forth on the high Alps, where the Gentians bloom near to the sky ; but there are