THE GARDEN AND THE SEASONS 247 



borders should be kept tidy, as should everything up to a 

 point, we should not be so tidy as to try to defraud the 

 season. Much time can be wasted on sweeping up leaves ; 

 indeed, unless the lower branches of the trees are well 

 shaken, it is of little use, for a fresh litter will soon be 

 down. Still, of course, leaf sweeping is a necessary and 

 useful operation. Every one of us has some quiet thought 

 of Nature as he sees the leaf-strewn ground ; or as he sits 

 on an autumn evening and listens to the wind as it blows 

 about the fallen leaves, so do not let us waste all our autumn 

 time in sweeping them up. 



" The dead flowers of perennials must be taken off as soon 

 as formed at this season, and the same with annuals. Some 

 annuals, however, are best pulled up when they have 

 finished their first crop of flowers ; the likelihood of a second 

 lot of flowers in the late autumn is remote, and bare ground 

 looks better than untidy remains. But any annuals which 

 appear likely to continue to bloom, should be allowed to 

 remain." 



"THE GARDEN IN WINTER. 



" The average amateur gardener finds the winter months 

 very dull, and is inclined sometimes to get morose as he 

 sees the leafless trees rising out of one of our winter fogs. 

 Every time he sets foot on the turf or soil of his garden, 

 he finds it sopping wet ; he sees all his perennials 

 dormant, and many of the borders quite bare. No wonder 

 he feels dull and somewhat unhappy, as he gazes out, or as 

 he returns from his work in the afternoon, finding every- 

 thing dark as night. 



" But I want to offer a word of encouragement to such 

 amateurs. They should bear in mind that there is a certain 

 amount of work to do if the weather is suitable ; if not, 

 the outside work must go. As our amateur sits round his 

 parlour fire on a December evening, and hears the wind 

 howling round, and the rain or sleet beating against his 

 windows, let him not dwell on its sadness. Rain is 



