My Garden in Spring 



A late flowering and distinct form from Co. Wicklow 

 I owe to The O'Mahony, who found it wild in wet land 

 close to the river. It has some likeness to the one known 

 as Blue Bonnet, which was found in Wales and taken to 

 Daisy Hill, Newry, where Mr. Smith's magic wand makes 

 everything grow. Blue Bonnet is the latest of all the 

 nemorosa section to flower, and is very distinct in appear- 

 ance, being more waxy in texture than the others, and of 

 such good substance that it lasts on till the middle of May 

 in shady nooks, and I have never noticed it flag with the 

 warmer temperature. 



There is yet another called Robinsoniana cornubiensis, 

 but I have never seen it doing really well anywhere or 

 looking very much like Robinsoniana : it strikes me as a 

 lanky form of nemorosa purpurea, but if it were really 

 strong and vigorous it might improve. I think much 

 might be done by collecting these blue forms and sowing 

 all the seed they give. Besides the so-called double rose- 

 coloured one mentioned above, there are two distinct 

 double white ones commonly grown : the best is a very old 

 inhabitant of gardens, with six well-formed and regular 

 sepals, and then the whole centre rilled up with a rosette 

 of petaloid bodies, beautifully neat and regular, looking 

 like a small double Daisy. It is well figured in Maund's 

 Botanic Garden and in Wooster's Alpine Plants, but with- 

 out any hint in the text of either as to its origin. I like 

 to think it was the plant that Gerard grew, and of which 

 he writes : " There is in some choice gardens one of this 

 kinde with white flowers very double as is that of the 

 scarlet anemone, and I had one of them given me by a 

 Worshipfull Merchant of London called Mr. John Fran- 

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