BERGENIA. Saxifrage. Himalaya to Siberia. With all the really beautiful saxifrage allies—heucheras, tiarellas, and the like—to choose from, I have never been overly fond of the much coarser bergenias. At the same time, they are obviously useful and even attractive in such difficult situations as dry shade. Selected cultivars and seed strains, largely from Germany, have much improved the selection available to gardeners. Bergenias form dense colonies by means of short, thick rhizomes. Each shoot is a rosette of broadly oval, fleshy, stalked 6-10" leaves each with conspicuous veining. In most selections the leaves are also attractively shiny and heavily tinged with red during the cooler months. Most are spring blooming, and some produce a second wave in summer and fall. The fleshy flower stalks rise to 12-18", displaying many large 5-petalled blossoms in open clusters. ‘Morning Red’ (more properly, `Morgenrote’, its name having been anglicized for American consumption) has carmine blossoms; those of ‘Rotblum’ and ‘Redstart’ are closer to magenta; and ‘Silberlicht’ has pure white blossoms. ‘Baby Doll’ is notable for more densely packed shoots, smaller leaves and 12" stems of bright pink flowers. Sun or shade near the coast, part shade inland, most soils, moderate to (if shaded) occasional watering. Hardy to 0^oF. or less.