Il8 AN ISLAND GARDEN 



and astonishment ; the purple Zanzibar Lily is 

 blossoming in its tub and never is without its 

 wonderful cup afloat ; the Lotus sends up strong, 

 long-stemmed leaves aloft, and keeps me eagerly 

 looking for its promised flower of radiant pink, 

 its leaves are a marvel with their mystic markings 

 held so high above the water. The Honeysuckles 

 are breathing out all their sweetness on the air ; 

 the Pinks are out in spicy bloom ; the Mountain 

 Fringe drapes the doorway with cloudy green 

 and pale rose-color. Constellations of Marigolds 

 and Artemisias and Coreopsis, whole solar sys- 

 tems of fiery suns and stars, blossom all over the 

 place, and in partly shaded corners large fragrant 

 stars of Nicotiana shine also when twilight falls. 

 The Japanese Sunflowers make every spot gay 

 where they unfold; they are hardy; when once 

 they fairly get a foothold in the garden, they will 

 not be dislodged, and I for one would never wish 

 to dislodge them, though they spread and grow 

 and multiply rapidly, and take much space if left 

 to go on undisturbed. They have an indescriba- 

 ble golden atmosphere about them, because, I sup- 

 pose, of their cup-like shape ; they never stretch 

 their petals out flat like other Sunflowers. They 

 have a small brown central disk, and their " ray- 

 like florets " are of deep yellow, curved more in- 

 ward than outward. The Artemisias are in one 

 shade of full, rich gold, in shape like a common 

 field Daisy ; the Marigolds are in every shade of 

 yellow, orange, and flame, effulgent, some with 

 centres of velvet brown, some with peacock green, 

 some all gold, with exquisite gradations of color 



