Abb. ^<1>
11 March

Dear Henry

I intend to pay you a visit about Easter – we go to Melbury ^<2> tomorrow, whence I will write to you again – I received the Sedums safe – Sexfidum = pallens = Hispanicum of the gardens, the true nobody seems to know – I wish I knew what I could bring you of any use – but it is a bad time for moving, & your gardener does not seem inviting. I want to see some of your plants. –

This year we are, without exaggeration, as at Naples – today I saw I suppose 100 Iris tuberosa in seed, I. sisyrinchium promising to blow Oxalis purpurea, variabilis, & cernua in profusion in flower, purple Ixia bulbocodium, Clumps of Gladiolus tristis, Musk hyacinths, Anemones, Ornithogs. nutans, nanum & byzantinum (one of my introduction) Tulips one sort already over, & Raddi, O. Solis, sylvestris, & Clusiana in abundance, & other Florentine sorts in full bud. Cyclamen vernum in great beauty – Ac. lophantha in full flower & forming quantities of pods – we have 4 or 5 trees of it out – A. armata which seems tolerably hardy. Pittosporum in great quantity, Melaleuca hypericifolia & Ericifolia almost in blow – & Edwardsia 4ptera ^<3> d^o Calla Ethiopica with 3 flowers on it – Tecoma Capensis with a beautiful orange bunch of flowers, (against a wall) Clematis calycina & cirrhosa, Cytisus 3florus now 3 months in flower & likely to continue, white broom, Vestia lycioides, Cistus salvifolius & 5 sorts of purple ones, & others almost out, Fritillaria Persica, Mesembry. bright yellow & pinkish white & small pink & purple, the terrace hung from one end to the other with the great Neapolitan Mesemb. on which are 4 or 5 large buds, about 20 sorts of Narcissus, Silene decumbens, Scilla campanulata, Hy. romanus, Alliums, Muscaris, Arabis &c – Aubrietia, Cneorum, Coronillas, &c &c &c –

Nasturtiums & Primula sinensis & Mignonette have not ceased the whole winter – Cheiranth. mutabilis in some places is in flower – Linum arboreum in golden bunches – & the Myrtles & Olives shooting from the tips of the branches not having been checked a moment. Fraxinus ornus & lentiscifolia Elms & weeping willows with leaves out. Wild Hyacinths already in blow in the woods. Single pinks, Arctotis & Erodium romanum & hymenodes a very nice winter plant. Orchis fusca, Ophrys tenthredinifera, & 2 or 3 others preparing to flower. The Slugs eat my Muscaris & pick out the rarest. I have one which answers to no name – it ought to be dubium I think. As you say nothing of M^r F. ^<4> I suppose he is better –

Y^r aff.
W F S

Narcissus poeticus & bulbocodium & jonquils are in blow here – peaches nectarines plums almonds & figs both old & young in abundance

I have 3 distinct Pseudonarcissus viz –

Large garden sort, nectary bright, petals pale yellow
Smaller from Bologna, all bright yellow, Leaves very glaucous
Least Daffodil of the gardens very early – Besides these are
Common wild English Daffodil
Neapolitan larger, petals pale, deeper yellow in the middle
Great Daffodil of the gardens tall bright yellow late flowering

I will patronise Hookers ^<5> work

Henry F. Talbot Esq MP
31 Sackville Street
London

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Notes:

1. Abbotsbury, Dorset: home of William Thomas Horner Fox Strangways.

2. Melbury, Dorset: one of the Fox Strangways family homes; WHFT was born there.

3. ‘Tetraptera’, referring to the four-winged seedpods.

4. Rear Admiral Charles Feilding (1780–1837), Royal Navy; WHFT’s step-father.

5. Probably William Jackson Hooker (1785–1865), Flora Boreali-Americana (London: 1833–1840).