IX 

 NOTES ON SPRING FLOWERS 



AN ever-astonishing thing to me in gardening is 

 '^ the overlapping of the times of bloom in 

 flowers. As I walk about in May I am sure to 

 see some inhabitant of the borders up and doing, 

 earlier than I think he should be. One is ab- 

 sorbed in what is already open; the budding of 

 coming flowers goes unnoticed and their little soft, 

 colorful cries for attention come as a surprise. 



Under an ancient thorn, known to Professor 

 Sargent and a few others as Cratcegus punctata — 

 a thorn which stands against old apple-trees, and 

 which, as soon as the petals of apple-blossoms have 

 fallen and disappeared, becomes a wreath of white 

 against the apple-leaves — under this blooming 

 thorn there stands in a bold group the flne late 

 tuhp, Flava. This tulip has a way of fading in 

 curious and beautiful fashion. In its first stage 

 it is one of the grandest and most imposing of 

 early flowers; its bloom is held high in air; its 

 stem is absolutely erect; its color a soft straw- 



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