THE FRAME OF THE PICTURE 333 



That's what it means to have real friends. But to 

 the shrubs. 



Will you do me one more favour before even the 

 suspicion of frost touches my enthusiasm, that I may 

 have everything in order in my Garden Boke against 

 a planting season when Time may again hold his 

 remorseless sway. This list of eighteen or more shrubs 

 is made from those I know and like, with selections 

 from that Aunt Lavinia sent me. Is it comprehen- 

 sive, think you? Of course we cannot go into novel- 

 ties in this direction, any more than we may with the 

 roses. 



There is the little pale pink, Daphne Mezereum, 

 that flowers before its leaves come in April. I saw 

 it at Aunt Lavinia's and Mrs. Marchant had a great 

 circle of the bushes. Then Forsythias, with yellow 

 flowers, the red and pink varieties of Japanese quince, 

 double-flowering almond and plum, the white spireas 

 (they all have strange new names in the catalogue), 

 the earliest being what mother used to call bridal- 

 wreath (pruni folia), with its long wands covered with 

 double flowers, like tiny white daisies, the St. Peter's 

 wreath (Van Houttei] with the clustered flowers like 

 small white wild roses, two pink species, Billardii 

 and Anthony Waterer, beautiful if gathered before 



