nelson] 



.4 WILD FLOWER GARDEN 



163 



Figure 3. — Bird's Foot Violets. (Natural sizej 



to fade, they remain open all the time. The hepatica is the herald 

 of spring and you should make sure of at least a few of them in the 

 garden as you will find much of interest in this very early flower. 

 These last for some time and as they fade come the leaves which, 

 with their many different markings, are beautiful in themselves. 



Next to these come the bloodroots and from a few plants ours 

 have multiplied until in early spring it is like a gradual upheaval 

 of the earth as the buds force themselves through. One writer 

 speaks of it as, "Snugly protected in a papery sheath enfolding a 

 silvery-green leaf-cloak, the solitary erect bud slowly rises from 

 its embrace, sheds its sepals, expands into an immaculate golden- 

 centered blossom that, poppy-like, offers but a glimpse of its 

 fleeting loveliness ere it drops its snow-white petals and is gone." 



From Mrs. Porter, 



"It has blood in its root and a waxen- white face 

 Coral stems and silver leaves of wonderful grace." 



"In some rich, shady comer of the garden, a clump of the plants 

 will thrive and bring a suggestive picture of the spring woods to 

 our very doors." 



Then come, the spring beauties and the dutchman's breeches. 

 Thoreau observed that, ". . . only those plants which require but 

 little light and can stand the drip of trees, prefer to dwell in 

 woods — plants which have commonly more beauty in their leaves 



