FORCED AND WILD HYACINTHS. 49 



The hyacinths are those which have been 

 forced in pots, and were given to me by the 

 gardener, year after year, because they were 

 too much exhausted to force again. I there- 

 fore planted them in good soil, that they might 

 recover strength, after the unnatural way in 

 which they had been treated. 



The tulips were mostly offsets, obtained at 

 different times, and which in two years become 

 good flowering roots. 



Opposite to this bed is one of the same size 

 and shape, which I have filled with scarlet ane- 

 monies and blue hyacinths, or wild orchises, 

 dug up from the woods and hedges. These 

 two kinds flower together, and the colours 

 contrast admirably ; the idea was taken from a 

 bed of red anemonies and dark blue hyacinths ; 

 but, as I was unable to buy the latter, I substi- 

 tuted the purple orchis which abounds in our 

 4 E 



