Stray Leaves from a Border Garden 
grown on graves. They are sometimes planted on graves 
in England and Scotland, though the practice of planting 
flowers on graves does not seem so common in Scotland 
as in England. There is a pretty variegated-leafed periwinkle. 
I must get it j also an old-fashioned Vinca minor with a tiny 
mauve flower, not, I think, very common. 
There is also a double Vinca minor , rather pretty. Like 
my namesake, Mary Queen of Scots, I should like to leave 
a flowery souvenir behind me. I heard the other day that 
the French sorrel still grows in the ruined precincts of 
Craigmillar Castle, where she used to love to live quietly. 
Poor thing ! she is said to have been very fond of gardening. 
It is curious to think of her, with her stormy life, in con- 
nection with such a quiet and tranquil pursuit, wandering 
up and down amongst her flowers or embroidering 
wonderful floral patterns ! 
There is a tradition that, when imprisoned at Chatsworth, 
Queen Mary tried to while away the weary hours by 
planting a flower-garden within a dreary walled enclosure 
shaded by a couple of yews and a sycamore, and called 
Queen Mary’s Bower. Whether any trace of it still 
remains I do not know. But, indeed, one can have un- 
tranquil moments in a garden, as when with budding roses 
there is fear of frost ; and as this week, when the heavy- 
footed woodcutters have been tramping around with 
designs upon the tall beeches, and crushing the starting 
Primroses and peeping Swallow-worts. The Golden Mahonia 
is beginning to bud. I used to deem this glossy-leaved 
shrub only fit for villas, for suburban abodes, on either 
side of trim approaches, up which rolled the carriages of 
Madame, late ironmongeress, or Monsieur, retired baker or 
butcher, on country joys intent. But now that I see it 
amid other shrubs on a wild bank in the dear plantation I 
take back my strictures, and will love its shiny stiff leaves and 
trim pre-eminently tidy flowers. I was reading the other day 
Mrs. Ewing’s pretty little sketch called “ Mary’s Meadow,” 
in which she tries to interest children in old John Parkin- 
son’s idea of every one trying to acclimatise flowers in odd 
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