xxvi RIVERSIDE LETTERS 207 



There are numbers of flowers, like the 

 evening primroses, that can only be seen in 

 their true glory as they grow. The blossom 

 of the beautiful mock orange or syringa 

 (Phitodelpkum grandiflora] is never satis- 

 factory when gathered, but a bush in full 

 bloom as seen against a blue sky affords one 

 of the most lovely visions that any garden 

 can produce ; to my mind it surpasses both 

 cherry and apple-blossom ; there is a creamy 

 character about the white flowers which 

 renders them more harmonious against the 

 blue than the pure white of the cherry, and I 

 prefer their serene beauty to the gaiety of the 

 apple-blossom. 



The bushes throw up overhead strong 

 arching shoots, often six or eight feet long, 

 thickly laden with scented flower clusters, 

 each in individual detail equalling in beauty 

 the orange blossom of the bridal bouquet. 

 Beyond this one glorious display the shrub 

 has little to boast of in the way of interest. 



As far as I can see it has no berries or 



