Other good Alpine Saxifrages suitable for various positions are Moschata, Bryoides and Squarrosa.

In the arrangement of garden pictures, flower masses must be relieved by the introduction of foliage plants. Fortunately the Alps are by no means lacking in suitable flora for this purpose. Many ferns and small native shrubs are available.

The cool, deep green of the Spleenwort Ferns affords a happy contrast to the rich blues and dead whites of Gentian and Saxifrage. Two good kinds are Asplenium Germanicum and A.selosii. The Shield Ferns (Aspidium), which include also the Polystichum, many of them perfectly hardy, requiring abundant water during the hot weather. Montanum is a true Swiss variety.

Between low masses of rock, small clumps of Woodsia look beautiful, especially when the stones are mantled with Sedums and vivid mosses. A slightly peaty soil suits them best, and they require plenty of water. W.hyperborea and W.ilvensis are especially suitable.

In shady corners where the drainage is perfect the Bladder Ferns (Cystopteris) soon make themselves at home. C.alpina, one of the smallest, is also one of the best. Lomaria Spicant and the hardy Cheilanthes are other precious ferns for the garden of Alpines.

Though none will deny the beauty and diversity of the plant families which make the Swiss pastures and lower Alps veritable gardens of Nature, yet the true charm of Alpine flowers is only felt when we ascend to the region of ice and snow. Here at last we realise the powerful grace that lies in herbs. Who is not moved when amidst the savagery of Nature, the chaos of rock and dreary waste of snow, a tiny plant springs forth and bravely fights for life.

The smaller varieties of Androsace and Saxifrage, which thrive in the grit filled clefts beside mountain glaciers, often fail altogether in garden soil. It is ridiculous to speak of such plants as "delicate" Alpines, or to infer that our climate is unsuited to their needs.

As a matter of fact, the soil in most Alpine gardens is far too rich, and these plants from the highest regions die from over-nutrition. The earth chinks should be filled with the poorest gravel soil, and with full exposure to sun and free drainage the majority will do well.

In town gardens Androsaces are difficult to grow, as their small green leaves soon become coated with soot and dust. They are diminutive plants of the Primrose order, and in their native Alps flower directly the snow has melted. Small fissures in the upper part of the Alpine garden should be prepared for their reception, a mixture of gritty loam and sand, with a small proportion of peat, being packed into the crevices.

The plants will never thrive on shallow ledges, the roots should strike downwards for at least a foot. During summer drought the small fibres will wrap themselves around stones and rock fragments, finding abundant moisture in the cool depths.

In the granite regions of the higher Alps the following Androsaces are found:

A.glacialis, A.carnea, and A.vitaliana, the two former rosy, the latter yellow.

Chalk loving kinds are:

A.chamaejasme, pink; A.helvetica, white; A.pubescens, white with yellow eye; and A.villosa, pink.

A group of dwarf Campanulas, comprising C.allioni, Cenisia and Excisa, will swell the list of miniature plants. C.allioni forms a close network of succulent roots, the stemless blue flowers being raised on small rosettes of leaves. It is found on granite soil. C.cenisia (Mont Cenis Harebell) is another free rooting kind, with blue flowers and bright leaf rosettes. These Campanulas do well on perpendicular rock faces, clothing the joints with exquisite flower and leaf clusters.

A tiny Saxifrage, S.caesia, almost like a silvery moss, is another native of the high Alps . It requires a sandy soil, and must not be allowed to suffer from dryness during the summer. The Cobweb Houseleeks (Sempervivum) demand full exposure to sun. In flat spaces among the small Alpines their quaint silver leaf rosettes and pink flowers are very distinct. To combine with these there are many other families of plants, the Primulas and Gentians, Artemisia and Achillea.