MY SHRUBS 105 



I think no new Ribes is better than our old flowering currant, 

 R. sanguineum, save R. speciosum, the fuchsia-flowered gooseberry, 

 from California. This thrives on a wall in half shade, and its 

 wands of little scarlet flowers in spring and sweet, red-golden fruits 

 in autumn make it an attractive plant. Its bud breaks in winter, 

 but takes no hurt, and soon after Christmas the young green begins 

 to appear. R. Menziesii is another Calif ornian species, which I 

 discarded as lacking in interest of any sort. The blossom is very 

 minute and without charm. The new R. Warsecewiczii, with 

 maple-like foliage, sounds a good thing, and it has a dainty name 

 to frighten the birds from its crimson fruit in autumn. Robinia 

 needs only to be named with affection. Its fragrance haunts the 

 mountain glens by Como. R. hispida and many varieties of R. 

 pseudacacia are most desirable, especially R.p. decaisneana. 



I am no rosarian, and have merely a border of pleasant and 

 familiar things ; but best I care for certain of the species. Rosa 

 sinica, or Icevigata, from the Himalayas and China, is a noble plant 

 naturalised in the Southern United States, and known there as the 

 Cherokee Rose. This is an evergreen of tremendous activity. 

 It has made a mighty tangle over my garden room in a sheltered 

 corner facing west, and here during June it opens large single 

 blossoms of exquisite whiteness and satin texture. Its fine pink 

 hybrid, R. sinica " anemone" flourishes superbly on a south wall, 

 and I cherish also R. Brunonii y another Himalayan, a white, gold- 

 anthered gem, with immense corymbs of tiny blossoms. This 

 splendid climber easily holds its own with the Ayrshires on a row 

 of pillars. R. Moyseii, from China, is a single rose of surpassing 

 ruby splendour. The colour is amazing, and it makes., all other 



red roses look washed out and poor. Then another Chinaman, 



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