CHAPTER XII 



The Place of Flowers 



IT is decidedly contrary to our American ideas, but it is never- 

 theless a fact that a garden may be absolutely flowerless, 

 and yet be lovely. And on the other hand, one may have 

 a world of flowers and yet have no garden, in the true sense. In 

 other words, flowers do not make a garden, revolutionary though 

 the thought may seem. If you are tempted to doubt, consider 

 how many places you know where it is possible to go and look 

 at quantities of beautiful flowers, but quite impossible to feel 

 or to say, as you look, " what a beautiful garden!" 



The conception of them which immediately establishes their 

 real place, holds them to be the garden's jewels — the bright gems 

 with which its design is embellished and "picked out," as a 

 jeweler would say. They may be used in quite as lavish abun- 

 dance with this idea prevaiHng as any enthusiast can wish — 

 but they will be used quite differently from the customary 

 fashion of planting wherever fancy strikes, and the space pre- 

 sents itself. 



However beautiftd the ruby, the opal, the sapphire may be, 

 lying unset within one's hand, none will deny that their loveliness 

 is brought out and shines to far greater advantage when the 

 craftsman has worked them into proper relation with each other. 

 Associated with the metal that forms a clearly thought out and 



(ii8) 



