Daphne mezereum was first recorded wild in Britain sometime during the mid-18th century. I grow the pink, white, and deep red forms, but prefer the red because it flowers before all the rest and is such a richly satisfying colour.

Outside the window, there is a D. mezereum in full perfect flower. Each branch is completely hidden by the deep pink, tightly packed blossom. I always plant this daphne near a much used path so that everyone who passes can enjoy the sweet scent of the flowers. A warm day or two will see the first blossoms open in late February, and in spite of snow showers my bush is still lovely to look at on the last day of March.

The Chilean Fire Bush, Embothrium coccineum, was a lunatic piece of extravagance which succeeded beyond my expectations. The first bush planted 17 years ago on what was then an exposed hillside is now a small tree 15 ft. high. The label reads Embothrium coccineum Norquinco Valley. Each year in June the profusion of scarlet flowers against the perfectly contrasting deep green of the leaves make me eternally grateful that, ignoring all the advice offered, we insisted on trying the impossible.

A sheltered location, and moist yet free-draining soil is essential in my experience, but this is a shrub which will grace the best site the garden can offer. It can be propagated by seed sown in a warm greenhouse in spring.

Like the calluna, the species and varieties contained within this genus bid fair to exceed in numbers the wondrous hoards of the Khan. For soils which contain any hint of lime only Erica carnea, E. x darleyensis, E. mediterranea, whose varieties offer a wide choice but limited flowering season, and of course E. terminalis, which flowers in June, are suitable. In planning a heather garden make the lines flow in long informal curves exactly as for calluna, preparing the soil to receive them in the same way.

The evergreen E. pungens has obligingly sported to give several forms with very attractive coloured leaves. Dicksonii with leaves laced a deep gold makes a spreading bush and a very good background to Vincaminor Bowles Variety.