54 



GARDEN FLOWERS. 



Loudon observes, that "the colour of the 

 flowers varies very much according to the soil 

 on which the shrub is grown : the darkest and 

 brightest hue has been observable in those plants 

 which are grown on calcareous soils, and the 

 palest and least brilliant are those grown on 

 sandy soils." All the different species of flow- 

 ering currant are hardy plants, and bloom 

 early in the year. 



Perhaps the most ornamental of all the com- 

 mon species of ribes, is the snowy- flowered 

 gooseberry, (Bibes nivemn,) with its hanging 

 bells as white as the purest wax, and its dark 

 purple fruits of the later season, which are 

 very agreeable to the palate. Then there are 

 other species, with red bells and long stamens, 

 hke the fuchsia ; and others with pale green 

 or gold-coloured blossoms ; while one beautiful 

 kmd, the wax-leaved currant, (Eibes cereum,) 

 has round leaves covered with a thin layer 

 of a wax-hke substance, and well deserves its 

 distinctive name. The fruits of these flowering 

 currant bushes are all wholesome, and some of 

 them agreeable to the taste. They are purple, 

 scarlet, or black in colour. Several of them' 

 however, will not ripen in this country, and 

 others have a harsh and crude flavour. 



Many species of berberry are daily becoming 

 gayer with their pretty yellow flowers, nor wiU 

 they be less ornamental to the garden, when, in 

 the autumnal season, their dark red pendulous 

 fruits will glitter among the branches. Our 

 common kind (Berberis vulgaris) is well known, 



