Late in the shadowy dell a sister form Veiled her green tresses from the wintry storm; Ah! here how changed' she charms,our wondering eyes, Like Sol's full radiance, when he gilds the morn, And deep red clouds his rising throne adorn, Paonia round each fiery ring unfurls, Bared to the noon's bright blaze, her sanguine curls; 3 Of primrose scent and hue, her fainter gold, Till eve's mild lustre mingles with her own. The garden now affords rhubarb, green apricots, and green gooseberries, for making pies and tarts. This is the season of beauty in the garden; every thing in nature is young and fresh, what Gray calls Nature's tenderest freshest green.' The blowing of the lilacs and laburnums may be said to be the glory of the garden and the shrubbery, delighting both the sight and the smell. About the commencement of the month, the flowers of the lily of the valley (convallaria maialis) and the flowers of the chesnut tree (fagus castanea) begin to open; the tulip tree (liriodendron tulipfera) has its leaves quite out, and the flowers of the oak (quercus robur), the Scotch fir (pinus sylvestris), the honeysuckle, and the beech, are in full bloom. The whitethorn, or hawthorn (cratogus oxyacan The Spurge Laurel (daphne laureola), which LINNÆUS describes as' sad in colour, ungrateful in scent, and blowing in a gloomy season,' is now rendered highly subservient to beauty by the gardeners, who engraft on its stock the daphne cneorum, or trailing daphne, one of the most elegant flowers the parterre can boast, 2 The single Peony (pæonia corallina), with large crimson petals surrounding a ring of yellow anthers, is also ascertained to be a native of this island. 3 The evening Primrose (œnothera biennis) expands its pale yellow blossoms in the evening only; and its mode of doing this is highly curious. The petals are held together by clasps at the end of the calyx, whose segments, separating at bottom, discover the corolla long before it can open sufficiently to unlock the calyx at top. This also is now found to be indigenous. tha), emphatically called May, is expected to be in flower on the first of this month, but it is only so in very forward seasons. There are different kinds of it, the white and the pink, growing in small bunches all along the slender twigs, or rods, of the tree or bush, which form, with the bright green and jagged leaves, some of the most beautiful wreaths which the country can boast. The WREATH of MAY. The slender rod of leaves and flowers, Produce of Spring's serener hours, This slender rod the hawthorn bears, And, when its bloom is o'er, Its ruby berries then it wears, The songsters' winter store. Then, tho' it charm the sight and smell O then, my love, from me receive This beauteous hawthorn spray; The mulberry tree (morus nigra) puts forth its leaves; the walnut (juglans regia) has its flowers in full bloom; the flowers of the garden rose also begin to open. The orchis (orchis mascula) will now be found in moist pastures, distinguished by its broad black spotted leaves, and spike of large purple flowers; it frequently grows in patches of several yards. square. Towards the end of the month, many beautiful flowers take place of the modest primrose and delicate violet. The banks of rills and shaded hedges are ornamented with the pretty tribe of speedwells, particularly the germander speedwell (veronica chamadrys), the field mouse-ear (myosotis arvensis), the dove's-foot crane's-bill (geranium molle), and the red campion (lychnis dioica); the first two of azureblue, and the last two of rose-colour, intermixing their flowers with attractive variety. The season is now rapidly approaching that will afford unceasing employment to the examiner, and ample gratification to the admirer, of nature. In the vegetable world, many productions invite attention by their fragrance or splendour, and are obvious to casual notice; others require patient search and sedulous watching for their discovery. The aromatic scent and profusion of blossom of the hawthorn, or May, make the flower of that shrub universally known, but many will enjoy the shade or shelter of the majestic oak, and not expect to find its flower, which is not to be discerned without careful examination :-the anthers are collected on pendulous strings, and the pistils and germ of the acorn are studded on small tems protruding from between the leaves on the young shoots. While speaking of the oak, we must not forget to acquaint our readers that the venerable Fairlop (see our last volume, p. 245) lately stretched its massy trunk and limbs on that turf which it for so many ages overshadowed with its verdant foliage. Blown down by the high winds in February 1820, it exhibited a melancholy memento of the irresistible power of time to bring to an end not only the flower of a season, but the towering growth of many ages. Thou wert a bauble once; a cup and ball, Which babes might play with; and the thievish jay, Time made thee what thou wert-king of the woods; The lilac (syringa vulgaris), the barberry (berberis vulgaris), and the maple (acer campestre), are now in flower. At the latter end of the month, rye (secale hybernum) is in ear; the mountain ash (sorbus aucuparia), laburnum (cytisus laburnum), the guelder rose (viburnum opulus), clover (trifolium pratense), columbines (aquilegia vulgaris), the alder (rhamnus frangula), the wild chervil (chorophyllium temulum), and the wayfaring tree, or wild guelderrose, have their flowers full blown. Various species of meadow grass are now in flower, and the heart'sease (viola tricolor) shows its interesting little flower in corn fields. ORIGIN of the HEART'S-EASE. When morning star had chased the night, Looked from above, To see the grave of her delight: And as with heedful eye she viewed the place, That on his grave was grown, Heart's-ease from dead desire. The butter-cup (ranunculus bulbosus) spreads over the meadows; the cole-seed (brassica napus) in corn fields, bryony (brionia dioica), the arum, or cuckoopint, in hedges, the Tartarian honeysuckle (lonicera tartarica), and the corchorus japonica, now show their flowers. The morning flowers display their sweets, The short-lived beauties die away. So blooms the human face divine, Fairer than Spring the colours shine, Or worn by slowly rolling years, Or broke by sickness in a day; The short-lived beauties die away. Safe from diseases and decline. Let sickness blast, and death devour, If firm the word of God remains. S. WESLEY. The female glow-worm (lampyris noctiluca) is now seen on dry banks, about woods, pastures, and hedgeways. The marine plants which flower this month, and which are chiefly found on sea-shores and in the crevices of rocks, are, buck's horn (plantago coronopus), which flowers the whole summer; burnet saxifrage (pimpinella dioica), sea arrow-grass (triglochin. maritimum) on muddy shores; the clammy lychnis (lychnis viscaria); the cerastium tetrandrum; scurvygrass (cochlearia), sea-kale (crambe maritima) on. sandy shores; the sea-cabbage (brassica oleracea), the sea stork's bill (erodium maritimum), the slender bird's foot trefoil (lotus diffusus), the mountain fleawort (cineraria integrifolia) on chalky cliffs; and the sedge (carex arenaria) on sea shores. The leafing of trees is usually completed in May. -See T. T. for 1818, p. 132; and T. T. for 1817, p. 155, for some lines on planting trees. This is the season in which cheese is made; the counties most celebrated for this article are Cheshire, Wiltshire, and Gloucestershire. The corn is benefited by a cold and windy May, as it is too apt to run into stalk, if the progress of vegetation be much accelerated by warm weather at this season. In late years, some sowing remains to be done; and in forward ones, the weeds should be well kept under. |