Campbell] SPRINGTIME GARDEN IN CALIFORNIA 183 



mild winters many flowers keep on blooming without any inter- 

 ruption. 



Some flowers that we are wont to associate with early spring, 

 are wakened into bloom by the autumn rains, and in California 

 begin to flower in the late autumn and early winter. Thus, by 

 Thanksgiving, one may find sweet violets, early narcissus and 

 snowdrops competing for attention with chrysanthemums, dahlias 

 and other typical fall flowers. Several of the native shrubs and 

 trees open their flowers in the autumn and early winter, and some 

 of these are very attractive and quite commonly grown in the 

 garden. 



One of the first to respond to the first rains, is a charming wild 

 currant which opens its drooping clusters of rosy flowers and 

 unfolds its fresh green leaves very soon after the first heavy rains 

 have soaked the ground. Before Christmas the first buttercups 

 and a little white cress can usually be found in bloom, — the fore- 

 runners of the hosts of beautiful wild flowers for which Calif orria 

 is famous. 



Another characteristic and attractive winter flowering native 

 shrub is the manzanita, with broad evergreen leaves, whose 

 clusters of white and pink waxen bells usually open before the 

 New Year. Less showy, but attractive in a quiet way, is the silk 

 oak (Ganya), with grayish leaves, and very long, graceful catkins 

 of yellowish flowers. 



About the time that these native shrubs are well in flower, the 

 Japanese quince begins to light up the garden with its gorgeous 

 scarlet blossoms, and this is soon followed by the pink Japanese 

 plum, which is usually in flower by the middle of January. These 

 begin the long procession of flowering fruit trees, whose beautiful 

 flowers are a prominent feature of the spring garden. The earliest 

 of these are the almond, purple-leaved plum, and crimson flowered 

 peach, the last a particularly splendid thing. The lovely white 

 and pale pink almond blossoms are at their best in February, and 

 I am sure the cherry blossoms of Japan cannot be more beautiful 

 than the roadsides and orchards of the Santa Clara valley, when 

 the almond trees are clothed with a cloud of pink and white 

 bloom. 



In January several species of Acacia are a blaze of gold. 

 These Australian trees are very much at home in California- and 

 the splendid masses of dazzling yellow, very fragrant flowers, are 



