VARIETY IN SPRING FLOWERS 11 



ceeded probably by a like oblong of Professor Francis Darwin — 

 how stupid, how intolerably dull ! one might as well be in the 

 Holland bulb-fields. Nothing is taught by these blocks of 

 flowers; it is a mere showing of samples: I would not exchange 

 for these thousands one small fifteen-foot corner of our own 

 where the late single tulips, Hobbema (Le R^ve), bloom each 

 spring among a host of blue Mertensia flowers — the simplest 

 possible naturalistic arrangement, but appealing, truly. There- 

 fore the chance for variety in the use in the little garden of these 

 tall colored flowers, the late tulips, cannot be measured. There- 

 fore, also, instead of giving short lists of those familiar to me, 

 I shall suggest the buying of ten of a kind for trial of unknown 

 sorts, and the planting of these among or back of other spring 

 flowers to give each subject its highest effect. 



The late Myosotis is ever beautiful among Darwin and Cot- 

 tage tulips. It matters not what the tulip's color is ; these delicate 

 blues are enchanting below all. Myosotis Perfection and M. 

 Royal Blue are marvelous blue flowers. The new Anchusa 

 myosotidiflora will, when better known, prove a great help in 

 color-grouping of tulips. Its beauty is little known now, but its 

 bright blue upright flower, its handsome rounding leaf, and its 

 generally alert habit make it a fit companion for the brisk bloom 

 of the Darwin. Barr's Alpine Blue Myosotis is of a rare color 

 and very free flowering. Send abroad for a packet of this. 



Be eclectic in your seed-buying, unafraid to try foreign seeds 

 now and again. Foreign catalogues enlarge enormously one's 

 gardening outlook, and often provide tremendously interesting 

 surprises and give new ideas. The bulk of our seeds should 

 naturally be bought in our own land, but it is both friendly and 

 wise to go abroad each year for novelties and varieties not on 

 our own market. As I write, I know well that the mail bags on 

 many a boat between this country, England and France, are 



