The Garden in Spring 



varying indeed in profusion but never lacking ; 

 our gorgeous tropical climbers ; our masses 

 of scarlet geranhirriy and brilliant pelargonium ; 

 our hedges of sweet peas ; our beds of delicate 

 begonia ; of euphorbia^ azalea^ fuchsia^ lantana^ 

 salvia^ llnum^ and many another never-failing 

 flower ; perhaps it is more reasonable for us to 

 be content with these than to go astray after 

 strange gods. 



Among fruits, the banana Is always with us, 

 and is much better eating than the travelled 

 specimen we know at home. The custard 

 apple, delicious when at its creamy best in 

 January, is becoming stringy and tasteless now. 

 But the passion-flower fruit — that huge and 

 glorified gooseberry — Is ripening ; and the 

 loquat, the Japanese quince, is displaying its 

 abundance of golden clusters. if not of 

 universal acceptance raw. It makes very tasty 

 tarts, and a jam with few rivals. With its large 

 and shiny dark green foliage it Is a handsome 

 tree In Itself; it will grow well against a wall 

 In the South of England ; there Is a fine speci- 

 men at Kew, but the fruit does not ripen there. 



Some of the fruit trees and many of the 

 shrubs and flowering plants sufl^er much from 



169 



