32 GARDEN FLOWERS. 



( Vinca mcijor^ have been open here and there 

 all through the winter, but are much more 

 abundant now, and during the summer months. 

 They are the common ornaments of cottage 

 gardens, and sometimes grow wild by streams 

 or in woods. Hurdis describes thei?i — 



" See where the sky-blue periwinkle climbs 

 E'en to the cottage eaves, and hides the wall 

 And dairy lattice, with a thousand eyes 

 Pentagonally formed, to mock the skill 

 Of proud geometer." 



This species is wild in all the countries of 

 southern and middle Europe. 



But some of our garden perimnkles are not 

 blue. There is the Madagiiscar periwinkle, 

 ( Vinca rosea,) of a beautiful pink colour ; 

 Avhich, like our common species, blooms during 

 the greater part of the year, and bears its twin 

 floAvers, and twines luxuriantly among the 

 trees and bushes of Ilindoostan. Then there 

 are the silver-striped, gold-striped, white- 

 flowered, and several others, some of their 

 varieties produced by cultivation from our com- 

 mon blue species, and others introduced from 

 India. The name of vinca is derived from vin- 

 culum, a bond. The French term the flower 

 pervenche. Its old Anglo-Saxon name was 

 peruince, and Chaucer calls it by another ; 

 thus, he says, 



" There sprange the violet a) newe, 

 And fresh pewinke rich of hewe." 



It was supposed, in the olden times, to cure the 

 cramp, and wreaths of its twigs were woimd 

 round the limbs for this purpose. 



