AUGUST 89 



are such troublesome weeds in our flower-borders, but 

 when the box shows its fruit the relationship is more 

 easily recognised. 



One result of long drought, followed by much rain 

 is a wonderful and very rapid growth of luxuriant 

 foliage ; geraniums which stood quite still during the 

 drought become most luxuriant. There is a peculiarity 

 in one class of plants which is worth noting. The 

 drought has little or no effect on plants, whether her- 

 baceous or shrubby, which have white or grey leaves ; 

 they go on growing as if the season was normal; 

 indeed, they rather seem to like the drought. The 

 plants I mean are not what might be called albinos, 

 white varieties of green-foliaged plants, but they are 

 plants with typically white leaves, such as many of the 

 Achilleas, the Artemisias, many of the New Zealand 

 shrubs, etc. How these should be able to stand the 

 drought better than other plants, I cannot say ; but we 

 know that they are also able to stand against sea- 

 breezes strongly charged with salt, for many of the 

 seaside shrubs have white or grey foliage; and I 

 remember once being at Weston-super-Mare the day 

 after a very remarkable gale, which blew from the 

 Bristol Channel with great force. For many miles 

 inland all the hedges had their windward sides as if a 

 fire had passed over them, and in Weston itself, where 



