She was very fond of roses and of primroses, and there
was a fine display of these flowers at "Old Orchard." She was successful
in "budding" and in hybridising roses, and produced several beautiful
varieties. She was proficient in raising seeds, and he sometimes placed
some which he received from abroad in her charge.
When he first came to live at Broadstone he frequently took short walks
to the post or to the bank, and sometimes went by train to Poole on
business, but he gradually went out less and less, till in the last few
years he seldom went outside the garden, but strolled about looking at
the flowers or supervising the construction of a new bed or rockery.
During his last years his gardener wheeled him about the garden in a
bath-chair when he did not feel strong enough to walk all the time.
In 1913, after his last two small books were written, he did no more
writing except correspondence. This he attended to himself, except on
one or two occasions when he was not very well or felt tired, when he
asked one of us to answer a few letters for him. He took great interest
in a small cottage which had recently been acquired on the Purbeck Hills
near the sea, and in September, much against our wishes, he went there
for two nights, taking the gardener to look after him. Luckily the
weather was fine, and the change and excitement seemed to do him good,
and during the next month he was very bright and cheerful, though, as
some of his letters to his old friend Dr.
Pages:
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174