JUNE 97 



increases quickly ; the bulbs also are cheap, which 

 is an additional point in their favour. 



The yellow tree lupin is now in its glory, and 

 a beautiful thing it is. These were grown from 

 seed, and have made good plants in a couple 

 of years. I find that the seed should be sown 

 plentifully, for some of it fails to germinate. Tree 

 lupins appear to flower only on the wood of the 

 previous year, and their golden wreaths resemble 

 laburnum set the wrong way up ; but they are at 

 least three times as enduring when cut as that 

 lovely golden chain. I have seeds of a new white 

 variety this season, which I am trying ; it cannot 

 exceed the yellow in beauty, but there is room 

 enough in gardens for more than one good thing. 



June 24. How hideous is the country on a sun- 

 less day in June. Here, where we are apt to look 

 for glorious distances and wooded vistas, this is 

 particularly noticeable. In place of spring's variety 

 of tints the eye travels for miles over a mass of 

 dull metallic green, devoid both of charm of colour 

 and beauty of form. The trees are in full leaf, and 

 show no bright interstices ; they are as lumpy as 

 cabbages. The fields in their flat colouring carry 

 out the unpleasing scheme, for the young corn is 

 still as green as the water meadows. Next month 

 we shall at least get relief for the eye in the ripen- 

 ing grain, and by August we may hope for some 

 variety in the tree foliage again, though not much. 

 At present the only charm is in the help which the 

 sun gives to the landscape, with its strong contrast 

 of light and shade and its varying cloud shadows. 

 On a grey day this help is withheld, and all is flat 

 monotony of metallic green again. Luckily the one 



H 



