CAMACHA AND THE MOUNT 77 



who know nothing of the art of gardening. In 

 spring the garden was full of jonquils and narcissi, 

 and later on sparaxis and ixias. Near the house 

 great bushes of Romneya coulteri were covered 

 with their delicate white poppy -like flowers in 

 summer. The plant seemed to have become 

 thoroughly established, and threw up suckers in all 

 directions, even through the paths of hard-beaten 

 earth. From the grounds there are lovely views 

 of the sea ; and probably the garden looks its best 

 when the agapanthus sends up its flowers in 

 hundreds, and the hydrangea bushes are laden 

 with their bright blue blossoms as blue as the 

 sky above or the sea below ; or, again, in October, 

 when the belladonna lilies are flowering in their 

 thousands. 



I think the love of gardening must have spread 

 from these English gardens to the native cottage 

 gardens. The English probably encouraged the 

 cottagers to cultivate their plants, as from these 

 little gardens come all the flowers which are to 

 be bought in Funchal. A few flower-sellers will 

 trudge seven long weary miles down to the town, 

 nearly every day of the week, with a heavy basket 

 of flowers on their heads, which they have collected 

 from many a cottage garden. Naturally these 



