370 MORE POT-POURRI 



in a fair -sized greenhouse. Rupelia juncea, from Mexico, 

 struck me as a pretty greenhouse plant, with red flowers 

 and weedy growth. Iris pseudacorus was growing in a 

 huge sunk pot, half earth, half water. 



There was a large collection of Hydrangeas plants 

 so easy to increase that I think our greenhouses ought 

 to contain greater varieties. These four struck me as 

 good : Hydrangea quercifolia, H. macrocephala, H. hor- 

 tensis, and H. chinensis. 



Variegated Maple is grown a good deal at Florence, 

 and, when skilfully used and much pruned, it can be 

 made a considerable feature in any large garden mixed 

 with dark evergreens, such as Hollies, Privets, Irish 

 Yews, etc., as it has almost the whiteness of flowers at a 

 distance. Cassia australis struck me as being a hand- 

 some greenhouse evergreen. 



The garden was full of sunk tubs for watering, with 

 pieces of stone and small plants round the edge. Con- 

 volvulus mauritanicus is a plant to grow at home in con- 

 siderable abundance ; it comes easily from seed, and was 

 lovely in this garden in half shade under shrubs. Mine 

 has lived out now three winters, its roots protected by a 

 small shrub. It is also very pretty grown in baskets in 

 the greenhouse. 



I was disappointed at seeing no Lilies growing in 

 gardens in Florence, though plenty of the Lilium can- 

 didum were sold in the market. How excellent is Mr. 

 Stephen Phillips' line on a Lily garden : 'A tragic odour 

 like emotion rose.' That is a complete description in 

 words of the scent of some flowers, such as I had long 

 sought for, but, I think, never found before. 



Apparently nothing in my first book really offended 

 the reviewers, and perhaps even the public, so much as 

 my non- appreciation of Virginia Creeper and Ampelopsis 

 Veitchii. The remarks of one critic are typical of many 



