TALBOT8752

[Fox crest]

Abbotsbury ¹
Sat^y –

My dear Henry

I was in hopes your letter would have said something about coming this way – Thanks for the Everlasting Californian Pea We used to have the yellow treelupine plentifully here but it is gone out somehow – I should be very glad of any seed some day – I have the pale blue sort –

At last we have had a few delightful springy days, very enjoyable – it has made Agave lucida send up a gigantic flowerspike very unseasonable & unreasonable & two suckers with a lesser spike on each. So many shrubs are preparing for a spring flowering that I tremble for the result.

We have Hed. Gardner. ² but the finest in England is before the Hothouse at Carclew. ³ Sir C. ⁴ wrote as if very well the other day – Charlotte ⁵ is there & Jane ⁶ going.

Never think of her going abroad till you get a letter or a specimen from Mentone or elsewhere. I hope she may come here later – now we are obliged to go to Melbury ⁷ & Redlynch ⁸ to look after repairs – which are urgent.

I have done up the Decoy anew, & think of planting it up with A Donax ⁹<,> Pampas grass, & hardy bamboo of which I have 7 – or 8.

Will you ask MacNab ¹⁰ if he has Chamærops serrulata of Florida – a species I am curious about – Loddiges ¹¹ saw my garden this summer & civilly sent me a Palmetto

I wish you could see my Eucalyptus – & the fine ferns I have out of doors – among which Lastrea prolifera – Pteris Cutica – Cystomium falcatum – Lomaria Chilensis & Magellanica <–> Onychium lucidum. Asplenium d^o Polypodium Billardieri – Adiantum Cunninghami – Aspid. Despanum – Allantodia umbrosa & others are conspicuous.

Can you tell me the readiest way to fix vegetable colours?

Y^r aff
W^m