CHAPTER II 



FLOWERS OF LATE SPRING 



THE first four months of this year were to the 

 gardener four months of anxiety, and, to some 

 extent, of disappointment. After the long, dry, 

 hot summer, followed by abundance of rain in the 

 late autumn, there was good reason to .expect an 

 early, perhaps an abnormally early, outburst of 

 spring flowers, and so there doubtless would have 

 been but for the frosts in December. They were 

 not very severe, and did not last long, but they 

 were sufficiently severe to alter all the prospects 

 of an early spring. It was really quite surprising 

 how great a change was brought about by even 

 those few days of severe frosts. Instead of an 

 early outburst of flowers we had an unusually late 

 one, and the proofs of this were seen in every part 

 of the garden. In 1898-9 I was able to pick an 

 abundance of flowers of the sweet Chimonanthus 

 fragrans to send away for the Christmas and New 

 Year, and I know of few more acceptable Christmas 

 presents to friends who have no gardens than a few 

 of these deliciously scented little flowers. There is 

 no special beauty in the pale yellow flowers striped 

 with purple, but when placed in a saucer with a 

 little water a few will perfume a room for weeks. 



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