138 A BOOK OF ENGLISH GARDENS 



And the trees and flowers have flourished 

 luxuriantly ever since her visit! For, truth to 

 tell, the whole Island is like one vast wild 

 Flower-garden, all the year round, carpeted with 

 Daffodils, blue Hyacinths, and pale Primroses in 

 Spring, and in the Summer months decked in a 

 dainty ball-dress of pink Bell Heather. Dyed 

 golden during Autumn with the orange-coloured 

 Bracken and yellow Furze, the many Pines and 

 Shrubs with which the Island abounds keep it 

 green throughout the Winter. 



That all this wonderful wild-flower beauty is to 

 be found upon a small island adds greatly to the 

 charm. Nothing shows the delicate transparency 

 and colour of a flower like the clear sea air, and 

 nothing is quite so lovely as a Garden of flowers 

 by the sea. 



To gain this enchanted Island by boat is only a 

 matter of a few minutes. The Garden entrance is 

 found after landing at a stone pier, by passing 

 through a door in the pier-house, into a long 

 passage (built out over the water) which leads to it. 

 Coming so suddenly into the warm, sheltered spot, 

 from the fresh sea-breeze, gives quite an exotic 

 feeling to the atmosphere of the Garden, especially 

 when on every side Lavender, Roses, Honey- 

 suckle, Mignonette, Lemon Verbena, Tobacco 

 Plant, Jessamine, scented Geranium, and Helio- 

 trope perfume the air with their fragrance. The 



