Flowers of May. 79 



May II. — Prunus sinensis. — The double variet}' of this shrub is of 

 rather recent introduction, and is of the greatest beauty. It is much like 

 the double-flowering almond, which blooms at about the same time, except 

 that the flowers, instead of being pink, are of the purest white. Like the 

 double almond, it is of dwarf growth, and should be in every collection of 

 shrubs. It proves hardy enough here. Occasionally some of its branches 

 have been killed back ; but it usually survives the winter uninjured. Its 

 worst enemy is the borer, which now and then attacks it. The double 

 Chinese cherry is a fine flowering tree, and its blossoms lose nothing by 

 close examination. The double apples, red and white, when well pruned, 

 are also beautiful trees at this season ; and the Japanese double crab, 

 covered with legions of pendent flowers, is one of the finest objects in its 

 way that can be conceived. It is still rare. 



May 13. — The Tartarian honeysuckles begin to open their flowers. 

 Next to the weigelias, these old and well-known shrubs are, perhaps, held 

 most in esteem. The red and the white varieties are familiar enough to most 

 people ; but there is a much rarer sort, which seems, however, to be but a 

 seedling variety of the old species. This is variously known in catalogues as 

 Loiiicera Tartarica grandifiora, — the large-flowered Tartarian ; or Lonicera 

 spedosa, — the showy Tartarian. It is far handsomer than the others ; for 

 not only are the flowers much larger, but they are much more vivid in color. 

 They are of a deep rosy-red, often striped and edged with white. No shrub 

 is more beautiful when in full flower; and, as with the other Tartarians, its 

 management is of the simplest. 



Another admirable shrub, less known than it deserves to be, is the 

 "wayfaring tree," — Viburnum lantana, — just now. May 16, coming into 

 bloom. It has large leaves, deep green above, and whitish beneath ; and 

 at the end of every shoot opens a broad, circular head of flowers like those 

 of its kindred, the laurustinus. Unlike that plant, however, it is perfectly 

 hardy ; and though it will grow in time to a small tree, if allowed to do 

 so, it may easily be kept within any desired bounds by pruning it just 

 after blooming. 



As May advances, flowers open so thick and fast, that to record them 

 all would be a work of space and time beyond our allotment ; and one 

 must pause to make a selection. There is one, at least, in bloom for the 



