xxi RIVERSIDE LETTERS 163 



winter, and yet in spite of all this a beautiful 

 orchid, Cypripedium spectabile, is now more 

 vigorous and flourishing than ever, each 

 stem having two large creamy white buds 

 ready to burst upon it. I have had the roots 

 of this plant for three years, and this is the 

 first bloom it has shown ; you can easily 

 imagine my excitement. A buck-bean in 

 this bog has also done wonderfully well, 

 blooming luxuriantly. Here also are some 

 epimecliums, the foliage of which is very 

 delicate and graceful, they have wiry stalks, 

 like the maiden-hair fern, with leaves of 

 exquisite shape and lovely colour. At the 

 four corners of this little garden are clumps 

 of Japan irises, all very rich in promise of 

 bloom. These semi-aquatic plants, though 

 they possess the frail beauty of hot-house 

 subjects, are all really as hardy as groundsel ; 

 these of mine having been left alone, un- 

 sheltered in any way, during the floods and 

 frosts, have come out unscathed and lovely. 

 I must say, however, that a frost in the 



M 2 



