Snininer Meeting. 33 



There is a growing taste for gardening, especially among women, 

 and to all who love to plant and cultivate flowers, I would urgently re- 

 commend a generous invoice of the hardy varieties. It is true that they 

 bloom but once a year, but they make up in radiance what they lack in 

 -continuity, and by careful attention to selection, one may have a succes- 

 sion of flow^ers of pleasing variation, superior to the monotony of per- 

 petually blooming plants. After July, 1 am always disinterested in gera- 

 nium blossoms, and have a feeling that I never w^ant to see another. 



It is now a fad for women to cultivate plants, and for once the fad- 

 dist has something useful to occupy her brain. The Hon. Mrs. Ans- 

 truther, writing for the Cornhill Magizine, says, "She who would now 

 be. modish, must cease to be a housewife, and become a garden wife." 

 She says also that 'the housewife is a social incubus, while the garden 

 wife is a social success." In America ihe two occupations go together, 

 and she who is the best housewife is usually the most interested in 

 floriculture. You might wish to ask me what hardy plants to cultiavte, 

 1 should reply by saying "'Those you most admire." Make your selection 

 carefully. Among the hardy plants that T have found satisfactory, are 

 the lilacs, syringas, spireas, honey suckles, altheas, California yellow- 

 bells, japonicas, wcigelias. and as many hardy roses as one has room for, 

 including the polyantha group. Also the snowballs, especially the ne\v 

 Japanese variety. For climbers, I like roses, the Seven Sisters, Prairie 

 Queen, and Baltimore Belle, I also like the Clematis, and the Dutchman's 

 Pipe vine. 



In bulbs, if you cannot have them in all varieties, you may choose 

 from this list; Snowdrops, ixias. spiraxis, grape hyacinth, crocus, 

 lily of the valley, tulips, hyacinths, narcissi, jonquills, all of the 

 family of lilies, the iris in variety, the peonies and daffodils. Then 

 plant all the trees that you admire and have a place for. I omitted the 

 hardy phlox, which is very pretty and eft'ective, either in clumps or 

 hedges ; the Bleeding Heart, the Columbine and hardy Chrysanthemums. 

 Plant from any of this list carefully at the proper time of year, be sure 

 that soil conditions are right, and you can have each spring a succession 

 of flowers that w411 be a continuous surprise and delight throughout the 

 season. 



Any honest florist from whom you buy your plants, will tell you how 

 to plant them. Never do any garden work in a haphazard way, because 

 you will, in so doing, simply waste your time-, and brew for yourself a 

 bitter cup of disappointment. Everything planted in my garden from a 

 pine tree to a crocus bulb, is either done by my own hands, or under direct 



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