The Blue Flower Border 257 



the expected Violet. We found it a field of Grape 

 Hyacinth, blue of leaf, of stem, of flower. While 

 all flowers are in a sense perfect, some certainly do 

 not appear so in shape, among the latter those of 

 irregular sepals. Some flowers seem imperfect with- 

 out any cause save the fancy of the one who is 

 regarding them ; thus to me the Balsam is an imper- 

 fect flower. Other flowers impress me delightfully 

 with a sense of perfection. Such is the Grape 

 Hyacinth, doubly grateful in this perfection in the 

 time it comes in early spring. The Grape Hyacinth 

 is the favorite spring flower of my garden — but no ! 

 I thought a minute ago the Scilla was ! and what 

 place has the Violet? the Flower de Luce? I can- 

 not decide, but this I know — it is some blue flower. 



Ruskin says of the Grape Hyacinth, as he saw 

 it growing in southern France, its native home, " It 

 was as if a cluster of grapes and a hive of honey 

 had been distilled and pressed together into one 

 small boss of celled and beaded blue." I always 

 think of his term "beaded blue" when I look at it. 

 There are several varieties, from a deep blue or pur- 

 ple to sky-blue, and one is fringed with the most 

 delicate feathery petals. Some varieties have a faint 

 perfume, and country folk call the flower " Baby's 

 Breath" therefrom. 



Purely blue, too, are some of our garden Hya- 

 cinths, especially a rather meagre single Hyacinth 

 which looks a little chilly; and Gavin Douglas wrote 

 in the springtime of 1500, "The Flower de Luce 

 forth spread his heavenlv blue." It always jars 

 upon my sense of appropriateness to hear this old 



