Cherry Walk and Lawn 



between the stones, and pink cranesbill rears little 

 green forests in the corners. ... A few years ago it 

 was all lawn up to the drawing-room window, with 

 a giant fir tree, which dwarfed the cottage and shut 

 out the afternoon sun. That was cut down at the 

 time when I had discovered the use of brick, and 

 the first courtyard was laid out. Unhappily, I used 

 good house bricks, and they crumbled away and 

 became dust to dust, like mortal men. They were 

 exhumed, and Yorkshire stone was put down, all 

 round the corner of the house with a wide path 

 extending the length of the wall. A bird bath was 

 bought from Mrs. G. F. Watts, at Compton, together 

 with the terra-cotta tubs for the umbrella roses — 

 " Lady Gay " and " Dorothy Perkins." Of course, 

 they don't really grow in the tubs. They would 

 soon become pot-bound. The bottoms of the tubs 

 were knocked out so that the roses can root happily 

 in specially-prepared clay, and loam. They are very 

 very happy there, and like the proximity of the 

 honeysuckle and the Banksia rose growing over 

 the drawing-room window. They have cranesbill 

 worshipping at their feet and from every visitor 

 they gain as much adulation as they can want ; 

 certainly as much as is good for them. They are 

 arrogant and rebellious in temper, and always when 

 they come to bloom they struggle against the 



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