264 MORE POT-POURRI 



Well content to none possess ; 

 And Sweet Violets — faithfulness — 

 And White Snowdrops — innocence — 

 Are in death his recompense ; 

 And these darlings of the year 

 Strew rude Winter's sepulchre. 



March 30th. — Of all the many catalogues I receive, 

 none, I think, are produced with anjrthing like the 

 attractive intelligence of the one sent out by Messrs. 

 Ware, of Tottenham. This year one is tempted to say, 

 from the pretty European -Japanese drawing on the 

 cover, that nature made a mistake in not giving us 

 sometimes an all-over pink sky instead of a blue ! The 

 soil at Tottenham is very heavy, and plants that flourish 

 admirably there, from my experience, unfortunately 

 decline altogether to grow when removed to a purer air 

 and a lighter soU. I am sure that all amateurs who are 

 interested in the rarer varieties of hardy and half-hardy 

 plants had far better try and raise them themselves from 

 seed. But a visit to Messrs. Ware's garden, near 

 London, as well as constantly going to Kew, will show 

 amateurs what can be done. The old-fashioned idea 

 that a garden meant a place of quiet and repose is not 

 the proper mental attitude for suburban plant -culti- 

 vators. The drawings in the catalogue are excellent, 

 though they perhaps rather represent the cultivator's 

 expectations than the truth. Still, it is well to have 

 high ideals, even in annuals and biennials. To return 

 to my catalogue — no one can give time and study to it 

 without being the wiser. 



In spite of all my resolutions to stay at home, I have 

 a very great longing to go once more to the ' Riviera,' 

 and see some of the really good gardens which have 

 grown up since my time, especially that of ' La Mortola, 

 Italy,' belonging to Commendatore Hanbury. Last 



