Like a delicate sea coral,
Barberry shines here and there,
Through the brightness of a garden
Filled with all the summer's ware;
And the fuchsia hangs its blossom
In the richly scented air.
Passion-flowers in sober beauty,
Through the trellis twine and twist,
And the stocks breathe out their fragrance
Near the sweet love-in-a-mist;
Where the bees all day for gladness
In their honey-search persist.
Cut your box and mow your grass now,
Lest they grow too thin and high,
Gather herbs too, for distilling,
As was done in days gone by,
For the old ways are the wisest
When our gardening plans run high.