THE CHARM OF GARDENS 



All the small birds give one joy though they be 

 robbers or enemies to young plants, or bee eaters like 

 the blue-tit, or strawberry robbers, or drainpipe chokers 

 like the house-sparrows, or murderers of the summer 

 peace like the woodpecker with his quick insistent 

 " tap, tap." 



In royal and fine gardens, of course, one must have 

 two birds ; the peacock and the owl, for these two 

 give all the air of romance needful, though I have 

 never myself regarded the peacock as a King of 

 birds, for he makes too much of a show of himself, and 

 his wife is a humble creature. I feel, rather, that he is 

 a courtier strutting up and down waiting the King's 

 pleasure ; a place-seeker, one who will cheer the side 

 that pays. As for the owl, that dusky guardian of 

 secrets, he is a far more solid and trustworthy fellow 

 than the gay peacock, and though he snores in the day- 

 time, his great round yellow eyes are open at the least 

 sound in his haunt. 



This is far afield from the weather, so let us give the 

 remaining saying of birds that the gardener may notice. 



November ice that bears a duck 

 Brings a winter of slush and muck. 



That I hold to be very true. 



There are still one or two rhymes that should be well 

 noted, three of the rain. 



1 



When it rains before seven 

 It will cease before eleven. 



March dry, good rye 

 April wet, good wheat. 

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