Ladyday to Whitsunday 
in his flower-borders as a beauty plant among Pinks and 
Roses. And really it did not look amiss. 
May 4. — The trees are nearly all out now. What a differ- 
ence it makes ; the contrasts of green are too lovely ! The 
honeysuckle or woodbine suckers are beginning to carpet 
the ground. I do like the local German names so much 
— Specklilie and Hah nenfusslein : “ Little hen’s-claws.” 
“ Ladies’ Fingers ” is a more elegant Scotch local name. 
The Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese are just variations 
of wood-mother, Madreselva , while the German, Dutch, and 
French, Geisblatt, Geitenblad and Chevrefeuille , seem to be 
just synonyms. 
The white Bellbind is looking for support ; soon the 
holly hedge in the Rose-garden will be the prey of the 
graceful parasite. I never have the heart to wage war with 
it, it is so pretty. Ladies’ Nightcaps and Hedge Bells it is 
sometimes delightfully called. The lily of the valley is 
showing flower, and we look for Rain to help the increase. 
One of the old English names for this charming flower was 
Lily Convally, probably from the Latin Convallis , a valley. It 
is curious that the Dutch name is Lely Convally , and the 
Polish Konwallia. Local English names are Ladders to 
Heaven and Our Lady’s Tears. 
I have heard it is found blooming thickly in Lapland 
and Norway, close up to the line of the eternal snows. It 
is such a pretty fairylike flower, like tiny lamps, but rather 
difficult to please with its habitat. There are places in 
England — Lancashire is, I think, one — where it grows very 
freely, and near Cheltenham, I believe, also, and in 
St. Leonard’s Forest in Sussex, where, the story goes, it 
sprang from the drops of blood shed by St. Leonard during 
his three days’ fight there with a mighty dragon. 
The Snakeshead Fritillary is out now — Checkerlily, as it 
is sometimes called. There used to be a variety called 
Queen of Spain’s Fritillary. I have not seen this in any 
modern catalogue. It is rather a nice name. I saw a white 
variety the other day in Dr. Stuart’s garden, very pretty, 
prettier, I think, than the draughtboard-patterned one. 
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