ere will soon be a dense carpet of golden flowers to brighten the
wintry aspect of the open garden. Many things in the way of deciduous
flowering shrubs may be grown with them, their bareness in winter and
shade during summer favouring their enjoyment and growth. Early in the
summer they die down. From that time the tubers may be lifted and
transplanted. Such work should be finished in early autumn, or the roots
will not have time to establish themselves for the first winter's bloom.

Flowering period, December to February.

Erica Carnea.

WINTER HEATH; _Nat. Ord._ ERICACEAE.

A well-known, hardy, evergreen shrub, belonging to a genus comprising
many hundreds of species and varieties, which, for the most part,
however, are not hardy in this country, being natives of the Cape. The
genus is most numerously and beautifully illustrated in _Loddige's
Botanical Cabinet_. This might be thought to have no claim to
consideration in this book, but I introduce it because of its great
value in the spring garden, and because in all respects it may be
cultivated like an ordinary border plant, which is saying a deal for one
of the Heath family.

_Erica carnea_ comes to us from Germany, but it has so long been grown
in this country that it would appear to have become naturalised in some
parts. In the latter part of March it is to be seen in its full beauty;
the flowers are reddish-purple, abundantly produced on short leafy
stems, and arranged in racemes, drooping; the foliage is of the
well-known Heath type; the whole shrub has a procumbent habit, rarely
growing more than a foot high; its fine deep green foliage, compact
habit, and bright enduring flowers are its chief recommendations; the
latter often last six weeks in good form and colour, so that little more
needs to be said in its praise.

It can hardly be planted in a wrong position--on rockwork, in borders,
or shrubberies, fully exposed, or otherwise, it proves a cheerful
object, whilst as an edging shrub it is second to none, excelling box by
the additional charm of its flowers. Not long since I was struck by the
way in which the common vinca had interlaced itself with a few bushes
of this Heath, both being in full bloom at the same time; the effect was
truly fine, the red of the Heath and pale blue flowers of the periwinkle
being so numerous and set on such a fine bright green carpet, of two
distinct types of foliage, that to my mind they suggested a most
pleasin