106 MY GARDEN 



descriptions of the wonders of the deep. I finished 

 the year by getting married and coming into the 

 malignant sphere of Income Tax. Once, and only 

 once, the ripening failed me. I did not ripen in 

 North Africa. I got pneumonia there instead. It 

 was interesting, in a personal way, and is treated of 

 under Iris stylosa. Neither did Syria ripen me as I 

 could wish, though it is a good country for bulbs ; 

 and, if only for the sake of its tuberous irises and 

 Iris Lorteti, one of the loveliest flowers in the world, 

 ought to be rescued from Turkey's evil misrule and 

 restored to the chosen people. 



Out of Lebanon comes my favourite spring 

 bulb Puschkinia libanotica ; while P. scilloides, 

 which differs but slightly from the other, is found 

 in Armenia. These dainty things blue and white 

 striped are very hardy, and I know few more 

 pleasing flowers in March. Of Ferraria l or tigridia, 

 the tiger-iris, I have a variety. Conchiflora, pavonia, 

 pavonia alba, and pavonia alba immaculata are glori- 

 ous creatures ; while of others, pavonia aurea and 

 pavonia lutea immaculata are exquisite. I plant 

 deep, and they come up year after year, their ex- 

 traordinary distinction and splendour making up 

 for the sad shortness of their hours. F. pulchella 

 is a lovely little atom. I was waiting for it a fort- 

 night last year ; then forgot it for twenty-four hours, 



1 Ferraria. "We lament," says Curtis, "that this affords our fair 

 countrywomen another lesson how extremely fugacious is loveliness of 

 form. Born to display its beauty but for a few hours, it literally melts 

 away." 



