THE STARCH HYACINTH. 37 



Some friendly wall has sheltered it from the biting wind. No 

 planetary influence shall reach us but that which presides over and 

 cherishes the sweetest flowers." 



There is still one other flower of which I must 

 speak. It grows so abundantly, it flowers so 

 luxuriantly with me ; it comes up like a weed on 

 almost every border, and I have given it one entire 

 bed to itself. It is the Starch or Grape Hyacinth, 

 known also, I believe, as the Plum or Cluster 

 Hyacinth. Its lower bells are of the darkest 

 indigo, but towards the top it melts into the softest 

 sky-blue tints, and when in masses it is beautiful. 

 Ruskin says it is " as if a cluster of Grapes and a 

 hive of honey had been distilled and compressed 

 together into one small boss of celled and beaded 

 blue." 



Upon the wall by the vinery a Corchorus (Kerria) 

 japonica is laden with wreaths of golden blossom. 

 An Almond-tree near the front door is just 

 shedding its pink petals. The double Gorse will 

 be in flower in a week. But after all there is no 

 flowering shrub, which we care for more just now 

 than the still un flowering Sweet Brier. Towards 

 the end of the walled garden I have laid out a 

 miniature herb garden, with its separate little beds 

 for Thyme and Marjoram, and Sage and Borage, 



