Candlemas to Lammas 
’Twould make him turn in his lonely bed 
To hear the love-songs he always fled. 
And flying swallows to far-off lands 
Told of his death at the maidens’ hands. 
March 8 . — “ March wind wakes the adder (ether), and 
blooms the whin.” 
A real Spring day at last, a little bite in the air, but warm 
in the sun. The snowdrops are over now, and the Prim- 
roses are fast starring the bank in their stead, pink, yellow 
and purple. The Winter Heliotrope ( Tussilago fragrans) 
with its curious white flowers, is also out in abundance. I 
gathered the first Daffodil two days ago. I saw daffodils 
in the flower-shops as early as February 8, but they were 
forced. I like the old rhyme, 
Daffy down Dilly’s come up from town 
In her green petticoat and her gold gown 
The Rush Lily, or Satin Lily ( Sisyrinchium grandiflorum\ 
like a delicate purple Snow T drop, has been out for some days. 
There is a white variety I must get. The Siberian Pink 
Currant ( Rihss ) is in bud, and a few more days will see it 
out. There is a sweet-smelling yellow variety I must follow 
up. Tiny blue Periwinkles and two or three Violets have 
also been gathered, besides Crocuses and some early Poly- 
anthus. The Jasmine nudiflorum in the kitchen-garden is 
slow to cover itself with its lovely yellow bloom. How 
curious it is we should use the Arabian name Jdsemum for 
Jessamine still ! 
The Spurge Laurel ( Daphne Laureola ) is out in the 
“ plantin ” now, with its curious little bunches of yellowish- 
green flowers, and the roses are showing little green and 
crimson budding leaves. 
March 23. — The crocus-bed in the Rose-garden is lovely 
with its different varieties of flower, and there is a tuft of 
white violets under an apple-tree. The squills in the 
kitchen-garden are in bloom. How the busy bee folk throng 
to the “ Little Vesper-bell ” ! (the Italian word squilla also 
means a vesper-bell). Squills are said to be powerful 
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