94 MORE POT-POURRI 



have never tried to see if it would keep its leaves in a 

 room. 



November 13th. I gathered to-day a small but bright, 

 well-grown Oriental Poppy ; and several of the Delphi- 

 niums, cut down in summer, have flowered beautifully a 

 second time. One cannot provide for or be sure of these 

 out-of-season garden surprises ; but when they come by 

 chance some one year, some another they are very 

 delightful, interesting, and precious. They are like an 

 unexpected piece of good fortune, or the return of a long- 

 absent friend, who, one thought, had quite forgotten one, 

 and who returns as on the day he left as friendly, as kind, 

 and as confidential. Such surprises push back for a 

 moment the dial of the clock a thing not to be despised 

 even as a passing illusion, whether in the late autumn of 

 a garden or of life. 



November ISth. Two days later than I have ever 

 before remained down here ! It is such beautiful 

 weather. In these mild days the singing of birds comes 

 slightly as a surprise, so different from the silence of 

 August and September. How little one realises during 

 this silence that the birds, thrushes especially, begin to 

 sing now in November, and keep on all through the 

 winter in mild weather till the end of June. The robin 

 did not like the dry season ; he began to sing so late this 

 year. 



November 2Qth. Most people who have gardens wish 

 to grow Lilies, and yet very few are really successful with 

 them. By far the finest I have seen in this part of the 

 world were grown in an Azalea bed, in more than half- 

 shade, and copiously hosed all through the hot dry 

 weather. They were really beautiful. A book .called 

 ' Notes on Lilies and their Culture,' by Dr. Wallace of 

 Colchester, has only lately come to my knowledge, and I 

 am quite sure anyone who wishes to grow Lilies will not 



