SPRING GARDENS. 115 



numbers of hybrid Crabs raised between the Siberian and some 

 common Apples in America and in our country that are beautiful 

 also in flower, and remarkable too for beauty of fruit, so that a beautiful 

 grove of flowering trees might be formed of Crabs alone. With these 

 many fine things, and the various Honeysuckles, we are carried bravely 

 down to the time of Rose and Lily, summer flowers, though Roses 

 often come on warm walls in spring. 



It is worth while thinking of the difference in the blooming of 



spring flowers in various aspects, as differences in that way will 



often give us a longer season of bloom of some 



Spring flowers in of our most precious things. Daffodils do better 



sun and shade, in half shade than in full sunshine, and Scillas 



and other bulbs are like the Daffodils in liking 



half shady spots; so also Crown Imperials, which, like the Scillas, 



bleach badly if fully exposed to the sun. We may see the Wood 



Hyacinth pass out of bloom on the southern slopes of a hill, and in 



fresh and fair bloom on its northern slopes. Flowering shrubs, 



creepers on walls, and all early plants are influenced in the same way. 



Such facts may be taken advantage of in many ways, especially with 



the nobler flowers that we make much use of. If different aspects are 



worth securing for hardy flowers generally, they are doubly so for 



those of the spring, when we often have storms of snow and sleet 



that may destroy an early bloom. If fortunate enough to have the 



same plant on the north side of the hill or wall, we have still a 



chance of a second bloom, and a difference of two or three weeks in 



the blooming of a plant. 



My flower garden was planted solely with summer and autumn 



flowers. Having myriads of spring flowers in meadow, orchard, and 



woodland, I thought I could well do without them 



Spring flowers i tne flower garden and, therefore, I left them out 



near the flower in planting ; but after a long trial found that I 



garden. must change my plans. The gypsies cleared off the 



Narcissus in the woodland rides, and, not being 



a bird, I could not go everywhere and see the Primrose woods and 



the wood Hyacinth drifts, so I had to bring the spring flowers into 



the garden. The common practice around London and Paris of 



tearing up the flower beds every autumn to plant spring flowers, to 



be abolished in their turn in spring, being out of the question, I had 



to change, and as many of the things in the flower garden could not 



be moved, I towards the end of summer in the past year went 



round the garden and saw some of the plants that it would be 



destruction to move, beginning with Rose Marie Van Houtte, of 



which I have had for many years a noble bed. This is an example 



of a plant one cannot tear up ; also Tea Roses on own roots ; these 



