JULY 123 



and every visitor the wonder and joy of 

 the garden. Whether double or single, 

 like the field poppy they are full of a 

 happy radiancy of colour which cheers 

 both eyes and heart. 



New combinations of colour and pattern 

 are perpetually coming ; and I do not 

 despair of the scarlets some day running 

 into pure orange-yellow. There is a low- 

 growing double kind, scarcely distinguish- 

 able from a pink carnation. There is one 

 half-double with white petals hemmed 

 with pink, and one streaked with crimson. 

 The colours .are all bright and clean, set 

 off by the yellow stamens. One or two 

 are rather handsome with black centres ; 

 but these have none of the clear joyous 

 grace of my favourites. For ' decking the 

 house ' (to use again Parkinson's quaint 

 phrase), they are admirable, lasting fresh 

 for days, if gathered in the cool of morn- 

 ing. To me the petals are like fairy 

 shells ; my housekeeper is reminded by 

 them of the muslin gowns her grand- 

 mother used to wear.* The whole race of 



* Our Himalayan poppies, having bloomed with 



