MIDSUMMER POMPS 



the first news of the two delphiniums shown facing 

 page 164; these were prize-winning flowers at 

 the Holland House show of 1913, and first shown 

 in 1908. On the left is a marvellous spike of 

 palest sky-blue and lavender Statuaire Rude. 

 The enormous size of the flowerets and the man- 

 ner in which they range themselves loosely up the 

 stem, joined to a rare beauty in soft color tones, 

 give this delphinium a peculiar distinction. In 

 the Alake, at the right of illustration, petals of the 

 richest blue are overlaid by others of richest vio- 

 let, affording an effect entirely unique and entirely 

 sumptuous: delightful to record, the flower is 

 named for an Indian potentate ! The celebrated 

 "what" that's in a name never troubles me so 

 much as in this matter of flower nomenclature. 

 Most women gardeners who are readers, too, are 

 sensitive to the fitness of flower names. I have 

 been ever averse to the naming of flowers for in- 

 dividuals, unless the individual so honored shall 

 have rendered some service to horticulture. In 

 the terminations "Willmotti," *'Sargentii," and 

 other such, w^e rejoice; similarly in "nigella Miss 

 Jekyll," "peony Baroness Schroeder"; these bring 

 most properly and with a certain mental stimulus 

 to our recollection those whose gardens, whose 

 161 



