A GARDEN NOTE-BOOK 



own flowers. A few hours' journey northward 

 from south to central Michigan has from the car 

 window numberless blooming sign-posts; at first 

 petals are falling from the apple-trees; lilacs are 

 at their utmost point of full bloom. Farther 

 north the apple-blossoms are fixed along the 

 boughs, the lilac thyrses are darker at the tips, a 

 sign that buds are yet to open; and in the woods 

 there is a delicate laciness of foliage which gives 

 one hope of still seeing the fullest spring beauty 

 at home. 



'And in the season of perfect and frailest beauty, 



Pear blossom broke and the lilacs' waxen cones. 

 And a tranced laburnum trailing its veils of yellow. 

 Tenderly drooped over the ivied stones. 



'The lilacs browned, a breath dried the laburnum. 



The swollen peonies scattered the earth with blood. 

 And the rhododendrons shed their sumptuous mantles. 

 And the marshalled irises unsceptred stood.' 



A good spring planting noticed in 1918 but not 

 in full flower till early May because of the singu- 

 lar lateness of that season, was of crocus and 

 scilla, all below and among old bushes of Japanese 

 quince in faint leaf. Fortunately for the har- 

 monies of this picture, the quince-buds had suf- 

 fered from winter cold and no flowers had ap- 



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