222 EVERSLEY GARDENS 



bottom of the garden, the long delicate shoots 

 of S. prunifolia, whose praises I never weary of 

 singing, have been a delight for the last three 

 weeks, and, despite frost, rain and tempest, are 

 still enchanting. The exquisite blue-green 

 Summer foliage has changed through those 

 indescribable shades of green and purple one 

 sees on the lustrous breast of the proud 

 Venetian pigeons that roost along the cornice 

 of St. Mark's. And the purple in its turn 

 has been driven upwards and outwards by 

 crimson and yellow, which have slowly and 

 stealthily transformed the heart of the bush to 

 actual flame-colour, the points of the shoots 

 still shot with purple which makes them look 

 in the sunshine like a mist of amethyst. Its 

 beauty is further enhanced by the lucky acci- 

 dent of a big plant of a very late, deep 

 purple Michaelmas Daisy right behind it in 

 another border, and by the gold of its hand- 

 some relation, S. opulifolia aurea^ by its side. 



" To another happy accident is also due one 

 of the prettiest effects in the long border under 

 the hedge that wild hedge of tall Furze and 



