Stray Leaves from a Border Garden 
against sorcery ; but how applied I do not know. The 
Chionodoxa , or Glory of the Snow, in the lily-garden is 
trying to bloom, but I fear the spot is too shady for it. I 
never see Chionodoxa flowers without recalling how a 
certain dear old lady used to say it reminded her of my 
Boy’s eyes, they were so blue ! I saw some lovely tufts in 
a neighbour’s garden a few days ago, also some dark purple 
Iris reticulata and some mauve Daphne mezereon — Bois 
gentil , as the French charmingly call it. It is not in- 
frequent here in quite small little gardens ; the draper and 
the police-sergeant have quite fine bushes. 
March 30. — A sudden snowstorm has shrouded all my 
budding treasures, Ay de mi! 
April 4. — Flail and snow showers have continued on and 
off till to-day, when it has disappeared from the garden, 
though it is still white on the Cheviots. I have gathered 
several bunches of violets, both white and purple, and the 
Dog’s-tooth Violet ( Erythronium dens cams') in the kitchen- 
garden is out. It is such a pretty delicate flower, I should 
like to see it in masses ; it must be lovely, covering the rail- 
way cuttings, as I hear it does, in Vancouver. The cream- 
coloured variety is, I believe, more delicate than the com- 
moner purple, but is prettier, looking, when well grown, like 
a little orchid. The dog-tooth, as well as other flowers, 
grows, I am told, profusely on Vancouver Island, but not 
quite so freely on the mainland, where, however, there are 
quantities of wild roses, Spiraea, Maidenhair-ferns, a kind of 
woodbine, and in parts, up the line of rail to the “ Rockies,” 
masses of bluebells, and the most wonderfully big and 
blue harebells. Near the glaciers some very tiny lilies, 
and rhododendrons on the mountain slopes. I wonder 
if these last are the same as the Swiss Alpenrosen ? Culti- 
vated flowers also seem to flourish very well there, growing 
big and beautiful. 
April 29. — The gean-trees are in full bloom near here, 
but only beginning to show bloom in our precincts. They 
are very abundant in this place, and what I particularly like 
about them is that even a veritable baby tree will mount its 
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