A father imagines coming into money and buying a handful of places with wonderful names—Codham, Cockridden, Childerditch, Roses, Pyrgo, Lapwater. But the purchase is only half the fantasy. He says he would let these properties to his elder daughter, asking for nothing in return except the year’s first violets, primroses, and orchises—and she must spot them before he does. If she happens to find a blossom on gorse, she gets everything, forever, free.
It’s a tender, playful daydream. The speaker doesn’t really care about owning land; he’s inventing a game that celebrates spring flowers, quiet observation, and a loving bond. The mood is gentle and nostalgic, full of affection for the daughter and for the English countryside. The poem feels like a promise whispered on a walk, where the real riches are the small, fleeting beauties of nature and the time spent sharing them.