Japanese Anemones, the roots of which so resent being dis- Spring, 

 turbed, I grow R. Aconltefolius, with its pretty name of Some of the 

 " Fair Maids of France," and its single form, which grows by Ranunculus 

 Swiss mountain streams. R. Acris, the double and single 

 " Bachelor's Buttons," also survive. With difficulty and care, 

 and some spring watering, I manage the two commonest varieties 

 of the Trollius, which are well worth all trouble. First comes 

 *T. Europtzus, with its almost uniquely globular form, " Globe- 

 flower" being its well-deserved name. Pale yellow, with its 

 moonlight hue like the Mimosa, and then a little later 

 T. Asiaticus^ smaller, with bright orange yellow flowers show- 

 ing orange red anthers, it seems to flourish better here in my 

 warm soil than the European variety, in memory, perhaps, of 

 its warmer home in China and Japan. The difficulties of 

 growing well so many desirable plants make one often long for 

 a new garden and another soil, where present failures would 

 grow abundantly and easily. But this discontent I observe 

 only grows if yielded to ; a garden here means wishing for a 

 garden in Cornwall, and a garden in Cornwall means wishing 

 for one in the South of France. There the wishes wander to 

 Sicily or North Africa, and so it is best to return to the old 

 platitude, and be content to fight and conquer one's own 

 difficulties. There are at least two distinct sorts of modern 

 gardens : one planted to get good permanent effects three or 

 four months in the year ; the other to grow as many healthy 

 plants as possible the whole year round that is my object, and 

 the reason why my garden is so great a disappointment to many 

 people. The general effect is often crowded, spotty, and untidy, 

 but I can pick incessantly without any fear of spoiling a combina- 

 tion or destroying a contrast that makes a picture while it lasts. 



'5 



