122 WOOD AND GARDEN 



scent I delight in ; it grows into a thick bush-Uke plant 

 full of purple flower in the late summer, when it attracts 

 quantities of bumble-bees. It is a capital wall-plant, 

 and has sown its own seed, till there is a large patch 

 on the top and some in its face, and a broadly-spread- 

 ing group in the border below. It is one of the plants 

 that was used in the old Tudor gardens for edgings : 

 the growth is close and woody at the base, and it easily 

 bears clipping into shape. 



The fierce gales and heavy rains of the last days 

 of September wrought sad havoc among the flowers. 

 Dahlias were virtually wrecked. Though each plant 

 had been tied to three stakes, their masses of heavy 

 growth could not resist the wrenching and twisting 

 action of the vdnd, and except in a few cases where 

 they were well sheltered, their heads lie on the ground, 

 the stems broken down at the last tie. If anything 

 about a garden could be disheartening, it would be its 

 aspect after such a storm of wind. Wall shrubs, only 

 lately made safe, as we thought, have great gaps torn 

 out of them, though tied with tarred string to strong 

 iron staples, staples and all being wrenched out. Every- 

 thing looks battered, and whipped, and ashamed ; 

 branches of trees and shrubs lie about far from their 

 sources of origin ; green leaves and little twigs are 

 washed up into thick drifts ; apples and quinces, that 

 should have hung till mid-October, He bruised and 

 muddy under the trees. Newly-planted roses and 

 hollies have a funnel-shaped hole worked in the ground 



