30TH JULY. 



WEEKS OF continuous rain, deluging storms, rain dripping 

 through the roof, rain standing in pools even in my hillside 

 garden, streams crashing in silver cascades down the mountain 

 slopes, and everywhere the sound of running water. Now 

 to-day comes suddenly the knowledge that spring has begun. 



Yesterday I heard a new bird-note from a warbler by the 

 stream. To-day the doves are more than usually insistent ; 

 many of the plants show signs of new growth and flower buds 

 little indeed to distinguish a change in season and yet enough 

 to start the thrill that comes every year, a call that finds an 

 unfailing response however old we are. There will be rain and 

 storms for months yet ; but what matters it ? The surge of life 

 is upward again ; the resurrection is enacted before our eyes ; 

 beauty makes ready ; the orchestra tunes its instruments. We 

 can afford to wait a little. 



For three weeks I have been cutting lachenalia flowers, first 

 Lachenalia Roodiae, a good lilac-purple which always comes 

 first, then the beautiful L. pendula with its very large pendulous 

 red blooms tipped with dark green or black, then L. tricolor 

 in red, green and orange, whose clear colours have a very gay 

 effect. But the best lachenalia that I have is one that came from 

 Australia as L. Pearsonii, though I think it is not a true species 

 and should guess that it is a hybrid between L. aurea and />. 

 tricolor. I do not know who raised it. It is very tall with blooms 

 bigger than L. pendula, colour a deep orange shading into red. 

 These colours blend giving a bronze effect, and both the stems 

 and the leaves are heavily spotted. It has a long blooming 

 season, and is very popular with the florists ; but it sets very 

 little seed. I have heard a rumour of a beautiful scented 

 lachenalia to be found in Namaqualand, but so far I have not 

 seen it, though I am still hoping. I believe it does not take 

 kindly to our wet winters. 



The earliest of the fine-leaved gladioli are beginning to 

 bloom, and their scent on warm days hangs over the bulb beds. 

 Gladiolus gracilis enchants us every year with its delicate flowers, 

 a lovely shade of grey-blue on such very fine stems, and now 

 the yellow blooms of G. carinatus var. are making a gay patch. 



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