FEBRUARY 215 



to salad lovers ; but it must be very carefully washed, 

 as any grit entirely spoils it. Later on the leaves get 

 tough and bitter. 



February 27th. — The last few days have been very 

 cold, but I have some most beautiful branches of Alm- 

 ond in full flower in the house. They were picked, 

 as I have explained, whilst in bud, and put to expand 

 in the greenhouse. This method defies the frosts and 

 wind, and greatly prolongs the time of enjoying the 

 blossoms. 



About this time last year I cut away another bed of 

 Laurels, which we had not time to do in the autumn, 

 and it has made a nice snug corner for some newly- 

 bought flowering shrubs — Lilacs which I had not got, 

 such as Dr. Lindley and Charles X., and some white 

 ones ; a double -flowering Cherry, which is such a beau- 

 tiful thing (though I fear it will never do well here, as 

 it likes a strong, damp soU) ; a Cerasus, Pseudo Cera- 

 sus, Double Crimson Peach, Hamamelis japonica (which 

 has died) , EucrypMa pinnatifolia, and the before -men- 

 tioned Amygdalus davidiana alba. I have a great 

 many Spiraeas in the garden, but never tUl now the 

 Spircea confusa, which forces very well, and is a lovely 

 thing. I have put it, for the present, with these new 

 shrubs. I find it a distinct advantage putting new 

 things in one place, as then one sees how they do, and 

 what spreads and flourishes, and what is only a dry 

 stick and a label the following year. It is mysterious 

 why some plants die. I bought two beautiful Tea Eoses 

 in pots, which were planted outside and drawn through 

 into the greenhouse — one a Mar6chal Niel, the other 

 Niphetos. Both flourished equally well through the 

 summer. The next spring, without any apparent rea- 

 son, the Mariehal Niel having made its leaves, turned 

 brown and died — very provoking, as in this way one 



