Chapter XIY—^^PRIL 



The Garden tn its Glory 



"When proud-pied April, dressed in all his trim, 

 Hath put a spirit of youth in everything." 



Shakespeare. Sonnets. 



THE Madeira garden in April exhibits 

 at once a high midsummer pomp, 

 and the exuberant if delicate fresh- 

 ness of spring. Most of the stan- 

 dard garden flowers, however manfully they 

 have striven to shed glory on the winter 

 months, are greeting April with a redoubled 

 show of vigour. The garden beds are a mass 

 of brilliant colour — salvias, petunias, stocks, 

 snapdragons, geraniums, pelargoniums, and a 

 hundred others are in full bloom. And to the 

 gardener it is a joy to see his children so strong 

 and healthy and happy. 



" For 'tis my faith that every flower 

 Enjoys the air it breathes." 



Various kinds of mesembryanthetnum are flower- 



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