CHAPTER III 



THE DAWN OF SPRING 



The winter wanes. Spring is stealing out of the south. March 

 It is not with us yet, but it is near. There are blossoms 

 on many shrubs, and the earth is bright with early bulbs. 

 There are the yellow of Crocus and Winter Aconite, the 

 purple of Colchicum, the blue of Glory of the Snow 

 (Chionodoxa), and the white of Snowdrops and Snow- 

 flakes. The last are of several kinds, and one of the 

 earliest is Leucojum Vernum Carpathicum. Aestivum 

 blooms later. 



The shrubs are thickening with bloom. It is not 

 every gardener who knows that there is a winter-flower- 

 ing Rhododendron. Its name is Dauricum, and its 

 colour mauve. It is a bright and beautiful representative 

 of its great genus. The Heaths, notably Erica Lusi- 

 tanica, with soft, pink, or creamy flowers, and the better 

 known Carnea and Mediterranea, are in beauty. The 

 newer one, Hybrida, should receive the attention of 

 Heath lovers. The glittering yellow Forsythia Suspensa 

 is expanding its trails of blossom. There is another 

 beautiful yellow-flowered shrub of winter that blooms, 

 like the Winter Jasmine, in advance of its leaves, pro- 

 ducing charming little tassel-like tufts of bloom. It is 

 Hamamelis Mollis, little known as yet, but certain to 

 grow in favour as the years pass. The delicious 

 Mezereon (Daphne) is an old favourite. It studs its 

 branches with rosy flowers of spicy fragrance. The 

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