MARCH 



39 



wanted to grow. The best time to move them is wet 

 weather in July or August. They are plants with a 

 perfect growth and exceedingly well adapted to waste 

 places in gardens and the fronts of shrubberies. Spring 

 bulbs will grow through them, and their yellow flowers 

 and dark leaves arrange admirably with the common 

 Daffodil in glass vases. They can also take the place of 

 the picked Arum leaves, which always droop before the 

 flowers when put into water. Out of the little stove, all 

 the winter through, I have long branches of the Asparagus 

 plumosa. When cut, it is much more effective if trained 

 up a light branching stick or feathery bamboo. This 

 gives it support, and it is astonishing how long it lasts in 

 water. It is extremely decorative, and will produce a 

 most excellent effect if arranged in the above manner with 

 only one bright flower added at its base. 



March 8th. To-day there has come up from the 

 country one of the spring gems of the year, a large bunch 

 of the lilac Daphne, the old Mezereum. It is a small 

 shrub, not a quick grower, and most people, especially 

 gardeners, are afraid to cut it. But if this is done bravely 

 at the time of flowering, I think it only grows stronger 

 and flowers better the following year, and you get the 

 benefit of the exceedingly fragrant blossoms. For a few 

 hours the whole of a London house smells sweeter for its 

 presence. Its perfume is peculiar and not quite like 

 anything else I know. The common lilac sort alone 

 seems easy to grow at least, the white one I have tried 

 has died ; but then one must always say in gardening, 

 'That is probably my fault; I must try again.' No 

 garden, however small, ought to be without this plant. 

 It likes peat and moisture, but is not particular. 



Yesterday I paid a visit to the Horticultural College 

 at Swanley, with its branch for women students. It 

 immediately struck me as quite possible that a new 



