116 THE HERB-GARDEN 



plainable, less definable, and its wonders have been 

 less explored. There are few better places for the 

 study of scents than the Herb-garden. 



Here fragrance depends more on the leaves of 

 plants than on the flowers. One secret is soon 

 discovered. It is the value of leaf-scents. Flower- 

 scents are evanescent ; leaf-odours are permanent. 



On the other hand, leaf-odours, though ' ready 

 when sought,' do not force themselves upon us, as 

 it were, like flower-scents, which we must smell 

 whether we wiU or no. Leaf-scents have to be 

 coaxed out by touching, bruising, or pressing ; but 

 there they are. After all, that is the great point, 

 and long after the summer flower-scents have de- 

 parted we can enjoy the perfumes of the sweet- 

 leaved Herbs and plants, such as Rosemary, Bay, 

 and Thyme. Even when withered, in the depth 

 of winter, how full of fragrance are the natural 

 Herb-gardens of the South of Europe, where one 

 walks over stretches of dry Thyme and Lavender, 

 every step crushing out their sweetness. 



Bushy Herbs that are invaluable for the perman- 

 ence of their leaf-odours are Rosemary, Rosmarinus 

 officinalis; Lavender, Lavandula vera; Southern- 

 wood, Artemima abrotanum ; Balm, Melissa offici- 

 nalis ; Santolina, also known as French Lavender, 



