A GARDEN NOTE-BOOK 



the pattern stands out as almost too dazzling; 

 then beyond the garden the blue-greens of bush 

 honeysuckles against the black-green of pine and 

 hemlock in the shadow show the beholder one of 

 the glorious moments of this lovely month. 



'Oh gallant, flowering May! 

 Which month is painter of the world. 

 As some old clerks do say.' 



Some years ago were given me a few roots of the 

 old single white fragrant violet. By clearing out 

 space for this darling of the spring we now have 

 several little colonies in open ground below lilacs, 

 and nothing is more valued or more welcome 

 than this small, old-fashioned flower. It seems as 

 though no florists' violet could compare with it in 

 scent, so rarely sweet it is, and the groups of little 

 flowers are like a tiny milky way upon the ground 

 when their time is ripe for bloom. Hyacinths now 

 are to the fore, also; of these I have not many, but 

 Oranjeboven, running in and out of that pale 

 crocus Scipio is very nice, pale coral and pale lav- 

 ender; and while we are on crocuses, Scipio, again 

 threading its way between the very pale lemon 

 green leaves of Hemerocallis Florham is a charming 

 sight. The delicate tones of crocus and lily foliage 

 prove excellently related. Other hyacinths are 



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