In the Garden
The year begins to wear its crown at last. Within a week, under the recent warmth, the whole character of the garden has changed. No reluctance. On the contrary, the eagerness of flower and vegetable is almost indecent, and the whole household is hard put to it, with motor-mower, hoe and clippers, to keep the ardour down. Shower and shine have turned the lawns to Paduan velvet, and it has been a joy to go out after sunset (which is the time to appreciate one's own efforts in the garden) to watch the last light taking this lovely fabric. I have at this time also seen the water-lily leaves beginning to open out on the surface of the pond, and on one of them a jenny-wren alighting to take her bedtime refreshment, flitting and fidgeting with peremptory eagerness. The one-time sick lilac tree, whose operation I have already described, is now dressed like a bride, with double white blooms that add their fragrance to the evening. Most of the tulips have been shattered by the storm, and their shards are scattered about the beds and lawns. Hedge-clipping, that great tyranny, has already
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