Beech and Fir and mountain Ash entirely surrounded it. A A Walled 
grove one longed to thin or entirely lay low; for the branches Garden 
gave overmuch shade, and the roots crawled underneath the 
walls and interfered with the growth of both flowers and 
cabbages. It is not easy to get leave to thin or cut away trees 
in that part of Scotland. The tree roots are so slow in getting 
themselves established comfortably, having so much to contend 
with in the way of weather. Trees are greatly desired by 
their owner for the sake of shelter; and so plantations are 
usually left to themselves at whatever cost of inconvenience to 
a garden. Within the walls the garden was divided into great 
squares for vegetables, with gravel walks across and along, 
broad beautiful flower borders, with patches and hedges at the 
back of them of Gooseberry and Black Currant. The Black 
Currants ripened almost as big as Cherries; and such Goose- 
berries! The white or yellow half transparent ‘ Honey 
Blobs,” and dark red, hairy “Ironmongers” (or some such 
mame according to the old gardener) irresistibly tempted a 
passer-by to cross the border. 
In early summer and even later, the garden walls cultivated 
their own especial gardens. The top of them became turquoise 
blue in May—enchanting strips blooming thick with Forget-me- 
not, and verdant with seedling forest trees, with the small St John’s 
Wort and Willow Herb. They have their charm, these flowery 
walls. Out of the chinks and cracks in the rough stones of 
them spring Foxgloves and Snapdragon and Verbascum, or 
Shepherd’s Club. Roses were the glory of that garden. Tall, 
white Jacobin half-double Roses; yellow Scotch Rose, and 
pink Briar Rose, the hundred leaved Rose, and big, round 
Cabbage Rose, the full buds of which were too often petal- 
39 
