English essays -- 20th century; Short stories, English
"I know. But I could have wished for something more difficult. If we had
something like--well, I don't want to seem to harp on it, but say
calceolarias, then quite a lot of people mightn't recognize them, and I
should be able to tell them what they were. I should be able to show them
the calceolarias; you can't show people the geraniums."
"You can say, 'What do you think of _that_ for a geranium?'" said Celia.
"Anyhow," she added, "you've got to take me to the Flower Show now."
"Of course I will. It is not only a pleasure, but a duty. As gardeners we
must keep up with floricultural progress. Even though we start with pink
geraniums now, we may have--er--calceolarias next year. Rotation of crops
and--what not."
Accordingly we made our way in the afternoon to the Show.
"I think we're a little over-dressed," I said as we paid our shillings.
"We ought to look as if we'd just run up from our little window-box in
the country and were going back by the last train. I should be in
gaiters, really."
"Our little window-box is not in the country," objected Celia. "It's what
you might call a _pied de terre_ in town. French joke," she added kindly.
"Much more difficult than the ordinary sort."
"Don't forget it; we can always use it again on visitors. Now what shall
we look at first?"
"The flowers first; then the tea."
I had bought a catalogue and was scanning it rapidly.
"We don't want flowers," I said. "Our window-box--our garden is already
full. It may be that James, the head boxer, has overdone the pink
geraniums this year, but there it is. We can sack him and promote Thomas,
but the mischief is done. Luckily there are other things we want. What
about a dove-cot? I should like to see doves cooing round our geraniums."
"Aren't dove-cots very big for a window-box?"
"We could get a small one--for small doves. Do you have to buy the doves
too, or do they just come? I never know. Or there," I broke off suddenly;
"my dear, that's just the thing." And I pointed with my stick.
"We have seven clocks already," said Celia.
"But a sun-dial! How romantic. Particularly as only two of the clocks go.
Celia, if you'd let me have a sun-dial in my window-box, I would
meet you by it alone sometimes."
"It sounds lovely," she said doubtfully.
"You do want to make this window-box a success, don't you?" I asked as we
wandered on. "Well, then, help me to buy something for it. I don't
suggest one of those," and I pointed to a summer-house, "or even a
weather-cock; but we must do something now we're here. For instance,
what about one of these patent extension ladders, in case the geraniums
grow very tall and you want to climb up and smell them? Or would you
rather have some mushroom spawn? I would get up early and pick the
mushrooms for breakfast. What do you think?"
"I think it's too hot for anything, and I must sit down. Is this seat an
exhibit or is it meant for sitting on?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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