318 THE WINTER SOLSTICE 



people take advantage of, that brighten the darkest 

 Christmastide with their flowers. Gayest of these is the 

 winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum), which, even if 

 one crop of golden bloom falls under the tooth of frost, 

 speedily prepares another. This should be trained against 

 a south or east wall; so should the evergreen Azara 

 microphylla, which will reward you with crowded florets, 

 deep golden in hue and of delicious fragrance, produced 

 on the under sides of the sprays. For a wall, also, is 

 the strange Chimonanthus fragrans (not to be confused 

 with the summer-flowering Chionanthus, the fringe tree), 

 which in warm districts will not refuse its weird bells, 

 green and yellow shot with flesh - colour, diffusing a 

 powerful and exquisite odour. A spray or two set in 

 water will perfume a whole room for days. Do not 

 neglect the witch hazel, but see that you are supplied 

 with the Eastern species (Hamamelis arbor ea), which 

 clothes its leafless limbs in January with rows of curi- 

 ously-shaped flowers, dark red and yellow, like tiny 

 orchid blooms. The American species, H. virginica, is 

 not worth growing. Laurustinus nearly finishes the list, 

 though Berberis Bealii must not be overlooked, which 

 crowns its noble horn-like leaves with spires of sweet, 

 pale yellow flowers early in January. 



So much for outdoor furniture. I shall only mention 

 one winter plant for the conservatory or cool greenhouse, 

 which it is puzzling to know why it is so seldom seen. 

 You shall see everywhere chrysanthemums of every 

 degree of plethoric exaggeration, begonias rivalling the 

 make-believes at Woollands, primulas, cinerarias, and so 

 on ; but it is the rarest thing possible to find that lovely 

 shrub Luculia gratissima diffusing a vernal fragrance at 



