Autumn Tints and Berries 



January in favoured districts, and is equally beautiful. 

 Perhaps the most attractive, however, is Prunus 

 Persica, the flowering peach, particularly the 

 variety Clara Meyer. I do not know of anything 

 to rival this shrub for exquisite and abundant colour 

 in such a border. It bursts into flower whilst yet 

 many of its deciduous companions surrounding it are 

 just unfolding their soft green leaves, and in such an 

 association has that ' ' too good to be real ' ' appear- 

 ance that is often experienced by garden lovers in these 

 early days of the year, when every day some new 

 beauty unfolds itself to our pleasure. Berberis, too, 

 must be included, and B. Wilsonse of them all should 

 never be omitted. I do not know which phase of this 

 exquisite shrub I like best its yellow flowering period ; 

 the early days when last year's foliage has fallen and 

 the tiny new leaves take their place (it is almost an 

 evergreen), for in these early days the foliage bears 

 all sorts of soft and beautiful tints ; then all through 

 the summer the long, elegant branches arch and inter- 

 lace, and it is one of those shrubs that even in its 

 greenest period never looks ' ' heavy ' ' ; but I think I 

 like it best of all in the autumn and winter, when it 

 smothers itself with cream-coloured berries that gradu- 

 ally blush to softest pink, and finally attain a brilliant 

 hue of coral. There are many other Berberis, some 

 larger in growth, some evergreen, some deciduous, 

 large leaved varieties, and small. Of all the evergreen 

 forms I have yet to find one that surpasses the old 

 B. Darwmii in the rich glow of its orange flowers, 

 unless perhaps B. sienophylla may be said to do so by 

 virtue of its more graceful habit of growth. For an 



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