Page:The Wild Garden William Robinson.djvu/34

 obscure plants in this order that possess the truest, deepest, and most delicate of blues, and which will thrive as well in the positions I allude to as common weeds. The Gentians and high alpine plants require some care in our sluggish lowlands, but not so these. The creeping Omphalodes verna even surpasses the Forget-me-not in the depth and beauty of its blue and its general good qualities, and runs about quite freely in any shady or half-shady shrubbery, wood, or rough rockwork. Its proper home is the wood or semi-wild spot, where it takes care of itself. Put it in a garden, and probably, unless the soil and region be moist, it soon perishes. Besides, in the border, it would be a not very agreeable object when once the sweet spring bloom had passed ; whereas in the positions spoken of, in consequence of the predominance of trees, shrubs, and tall herbs, the low plants are not noticed when out of flower, but crawl about unobserved till returning spring reminds those fortunate enough to see them how chaste and superior is the inexpensive and natural kind of gardening here advocated.

Another plant of the order is so suitable and useful for this purpose, that if a root or two of it be planted in any shrubbery, it will soon run about, exterminate the weeds, and prove quite a lesson