26 MY SHRUBS 



allegory of a starving cupressus, or tell the whole secret of in- 

 domitable will conquering abominable bad luck in the shape of a 

 thirsty and lop-sided thuya lingering upside down against fearful 

 and cruel odds. No — I see the spiritual significance, and I worship 

 the Wisdom of the East, that has lifted gardening to these soulful 

 heights ; but I go on trying to make my things lovely above ground 

 and happy below ; and I am quite certain that they prefer my way, 

 because, like myself, they know no better. 



Calodendron capensis has languished in a pot for years, but 

 made no effort worth the name ; Callicoma serratifoHa still awaits 

 me. The latter is the black wattle of New South Wales, and is 

 declared to be a very desirable shrub. 



Calothamnus pyrolceflorus is a stout, dwarf, deciduous shrub 

 from Alaska, with chocolate-coloured flowers and an iron consti- 

 tution against cold ; but it will succumb swiftly to too much hot 

 sunshine. The newer C. Baxteri is an Australian evergreen with 

 crimson flowers — beautiful, but not too easy. 



Calycanthus floriduSy the Carolina allspice, pursues its way in 

 half shade, and produces its lumpy chocolate-coloured flowers, 

 while C. macrophylltis is also going ahead handicapped by per- 

 petual shade. We put upon these willing customers, and, because 

 they will do their duty in shade, though quite as fond of an 

 occasional sunbeam as most other living creatures, condemn them 

 to live without a ray. 



Camellia does well in half shade here, and I have Gauntlett's 

 splendid hybrid — pure, single white, with yellow anthers, together 

 with good pieces of the double Japanese white and red. C. 

 latifolia^ a hardy species, also does well. C. Sasanqua died, but has 

 appeared again in a cooler corner, and as for C. reticulata, the 



