APRIL 71 



my garden I hang up on the trees, the pump, or shaded 

 railings, little boxes with part of one side cut out for the 

 birds to build in, and with lids that lift up for me to have 

 the pleasure of looking at them. The fact is, birds do 

 quite as much good as harm, though the harm is the more 

 apparent ; and who would have a garden without song ? 



The Crown Imperials are in full flower. They, like 

 many other bulbs in this light soil, reproduce themselves 

 so quickly that they want to be constantly lifted, the 

 small bulbs taken away and put in a nursery (ifcyou wish 

 to increase your stock), and the large ones replaced, in a 

 good bed of manure, where you want them to flower the 

 following year. It is best, if possible, to do this in June, 

 when the leaves have died down, but not quite disappeared 

 so that the place is lost ; one can, however, always find 

 them in the autumn by their strong smell when the earth 

 is moved beside them. 



The orange Crown Imperials do best here, so, of 

 course, I feel proudest of the pale yellow. Both colours 

 are unusually good this year. In my youth they were 

 rather sniffed at and called a cottage plant. I wonder if 

 anyone who thought them vulgar ever tookfthe trouble to 

 pick off one of the down-hanging bells and turn it up to 

 see the six drops of clear water in the six white cups 

 with black rims? I know nothing prettier or more 

 curious amongst flowers than this. I have not got the 

 white one, but must try and get it ; I am told it is very 

 pretty, and so it must be, I should think. The lovely 

 little Omphalodes verna (' Blue-eyed Mary,' Mr. Eobinson 

 calls it) is in flower under my trees. The soil is too dry 

 for it to flourish very successfully, and yet- it is always 

 worth growing everywhere. Next year I shall try lifting 

 it in March and putting it into pots. The great thing 

 is to remember that it divides and propagates much better 

 in early spring than in autumn. The graceful, pale grey 



