GARDENING FOR WOMEN 101 



country below. Near by, dense box hedges shel- 

 tered some plantations of fruit trees, all pink and 

 white with blossom, while beneath grew delicious 

 scented narcissus. The shadows played upon the 

 grey and green of the olive gardens, and deep 

 blue in the distance were the hills round Fiesole. 

 Florence itself was hidden, but close to us the stately 

 Certosa crowned her dome -shaped hill. To the 

 left, an opening in the hills showed us the misty 

 plain of Prato, looking like a still lake in dreamland 

 dotted with small white ships. The villa door 

 stood temptingly open, and ascending a flight of 

 stone steps we entered the small, cool, paved court. 



It was different from most courtyards. In the 

 place of orange trees in pots there were flower 

 beds amidst the paving. Each was round in shape 

 and contained a graceful lilac bush carpeted with 

 mauve violas. In the centre of the court was a 

 well with ornamental ironwork railings, against 

 which stood handsome Amaryllis lilies in pots. The 

 walls of the house had roses climbing up them ; 

 so robust were they that their stems had twined 

 around the iron window gratings, making, with their 

 thorns, a double security against attack. The 

 whole effect was cool and quiet^ — a good preparation 

 for the blaze of colour which met us, as we passed 

 under the dark archway into the garden itself. 



What struck us most, when first we saw it, 



