The Blue Flower Border 257 
the expected Violet. We found it a field of Grape 
Hyacinth, blue of leaf, of stem, of flower. While 
all flowers are in a sense perfect, some certainly do 
not appear so in shape, among the latter those of 
irregular sepals. Some flowers seem imperfect with- 
out any cause save the fancy of the one who is 
regarding them ; thus to me the Balsam is an imper- 
fect flower. Other flowers impress me delightfully 
with a sense of perfection. Such is the Grape 
Hyacinth, doubly grateful in this perfection in the 
time it comes in early spring. The Grape Hyacinth 
is the favorite spring flower of my garden — but no ! 
I thought a minute ago the Scilla was ! and what 
place has the Violet? the Flower de Luce? I can- 
not decide, but this I know — it is some blue flower. 
Ruskin says of the Grape Hyacinth, as he saw 
it growing in southern France, its native home, “ It 
was as if a cluster of grapes and a hive of honey 
had been distilled and pressed together into one 
small boss of celled and beaded blue.” I always 
think of his term “ beaded blue ” when I look at it. 
There are several varieties, from a deep blue or pur- 
ple to sky-blue, and one is fringed with the most 
delicate feathery petals. Some varieties have a faint 
perfume, and country folk call the flower “ Baby's 
Breath ” therefrom. 
Purely blue, too, are some of our garden Hya- 
cinths, especially a rather meagre single Hyacinth 
which looks a little chilly; and Gavin Douglas wrote 
in the springtime of 1500, “The Flower de Luce 
forth spread his heavenly blue.” It always jars 
upon my sense of appropriateness to hear this old 
