Blue Lobelia at www.japanese-home-gardens.com

Kalmia angustifolia, sheep laurel, becomes a shrub Lathyarus latifolius, perennial sweet pea, large rose and white flowers, a vine Liatris spicata, blazing star, pink flowers, 1-5 feet Lobelia Cardinalis, cardinal flower, beautiful red, 2-4 feet, likes wet places Lobelia siphilitica, blue lobelia, light blue, 1-3 feet, likes wet places Lotus corniculatus, birdsfoot trefoil, 6-8 inches, usually prostrate Malva moschata, musk mallow, 1-2 feet Melilotus albus, sweetclover, biennial, 2-4 feet Nemophila menziesii, baby blue eyes and a charming annual, 6-12 inches

And if modern art may be stretched to include floral art, include here two masterpieces in these same gardens. One is a great crown of shrubs, with the letters E. R., for Elizabeth Regina, and the other is the Floral Clock, first made in 1905. This is a real clock that keeps exact time. The dial is planted with electric-blue lobelia, the numbers being of some small, greenish-yellow plants, and the hands are of a paler Waverley-blue lobelia. If you'd like a flurry of statistics—the dial is 38 feet across, the hands 7% and 5% feet in length, weighing 80 and 50 pounds respectively "when planted." The plant population of the clock is 14,000 and each spring it takes three men three weeks to insert them. One gardener is constantly employed in weeding and watering the clock.

N. 'Yellow Cheerfulness'; H: 14"; L; (4); Primrose yellow flowers. N. 'Lintie'; H: 7"; L; (7); Yellow with a flat orange crown. Crocus chrysanthus 'Princess Beatrix'; H: 3"; VE; Lobelia-blue with a golden yellow base. C. sieberi 'Firefly'; H: 2 1/2"; E; Lilac with a yellow base. Chionodoxa chrysanthus 'Pink Giant'; H: 5" to 8"; E; Rose-pink flowers.