THE SWEET O’ THE YEAR 
47 
average garden; and yet one would think that their tall 
and graceful stature, their infinite and rare variety of 
hue, together with their genius for multiplying, should 
combine to give the entire May-flowering groups a 
large and liberal space in the flower-grower’s affections 
and borders to boot. 
All are exceedingly beautiful, and, at the first blush, 
there would seem hardly a pin to choose between them ; 
but, with more intimate knowledge, certain examples 
detach themselves from the mass, and the spirit of 
favouritism develops. Not the favouritism, be it said, 
of the florist, who, in common with all his fellow fan¬ 
ciers, appears, for the more part, to have had nor rhyme 
nor reason for his aesthetic preferences. A chaque oiseau 
son nid est beau , and there is no extant branch of “ the 
fancy ” but has its own peculiar fads to foster, as tire¬ 
some, perhaps, as the nursery’s—or the lover’s—little 
language to the detached observer. Both are innocuous, 
and even amusing, provided always an unparticipating 
attitude on the part of the audience ; as you could not 
take the little language seriously, neither should you 
lean upon the serviceable fancier as guide, philosopher, 
and friend. In the choice of flowers, above all, one is 
well advised to take one’s pleasure where one finds it, 
and there is infinite pleasure to be found in these late 
varieties, of which I am inclined to think the English 
florist’s the most excellent, for the Parrot or Dragon 
tulip, despite all its fantastic beauty, is too weak of stem 
to bear its motley honours with majesty. As I pass 
between the broad herbaceous borders and along the 
tulip-litten turf and mark these strong tall stems that 
