THE WHITE ROCKERY 119 



doors. The rose-coloured romulea flourishes much 

 with me, and opens its bright blooms by the dozen on 

 a sunny morning ; but it appears to be very impatient 

 and distrustful of cloud, and soon shuts, like sparaxis, 

 in shade. It is not strictly rose-coloured at all, but 

 totters on the verge of magenta. Sarana, the so- 

 called black fritillary, failed with me ; but I think it 

 is easy enough, as anything surely should be that 

 flourishes in Kamtchatka. Perhaps, however, it wants 

 more bracing, and might like to winter in a refrigera- 

 tor. Schizostylis, the Kaffir lily, is a valuable gladiolus- 

 like plant with spikes of crimson blossoms in October 

 and November. A good mass in the kitchen garden 

 will repay the room you give it, and prove invaluable 

 for the house, if you feel as I do, that chrysanthemums, 

 and nothing but chrysanthemums, soon become a 

 weariness. Sisyrinchiums are pretty little hardy things, 

 and spring in sheafs, yellow and blue, upon my white 

 rockery. Smilacina I am trying to establish in a 

 cool corner. It is, of course, as hardy as lily of the 

 valley ; but this dainty little " herbe aux turquoise " 

 has not as yet ripened its blue berries with me, or 

 shown any wish to do so. Sternbergia is hardy and 

 brightens autumn with his yellow cups, but S. Fischer- 

 iana, a new variety, flowers in spring, I hear. Nobody 

 wants him then, for that is the hour of the crocus. 

 S. Macrantha flowers before his leaves ; but I like 

 best the common Sternbergia lutea, whose bloom 

 and bright green foliage come together. 



Libertia is a noble, iris-like plant, and does in half 

 sunshine. I give a picture of it with a mass of Iris 



