ACCUMULATING A GARDEN 77 



and much else that concerns the pictorial side of 

 gardening. And of many other things learned, or 

 then well along in the learning, not the smallest 

 was contentment with a modest beginning and with 

 making haste slowly. 



The second year unlearning began ; as with gath- 

 ering libraries, that is always incidental to the 

 early stages of making a garden. One thing un- 

 learned was the sowing of the seed of biennials 

 and perennials on the first day of August a rule 

 again and again drummed into the ear of the 

 would-be flower gardener. Only a few of the 

 perennials bloomed and of the biennials not a 

 Canterbury bell or a hollyhock and no more than 

 one foxglove; the Iceland poppies alone were up 

 to scratch. From that time on some one has 

 planted biennial and perennial seed under glass 

 in early May, if he counted upon getting bloom 

 the following year. 



To return to spring from this summer digres- 

 sion, the second April saw a long, and really se- 

 rious, border under way. It was L-shaped and 

 ran back from the street along the east side of 

 the east lawn and then turned to border the south 

 side thus giving this part of the yard a back- 

 ground. Hybrid perpetual roses were planted 

 nearly up to the turn, where a break was made 

 with some larger Madame Plantier bushes; thence 

 the border was continued as a hardy herbaceous 

 one. What with the little nursery, the numerous 

 seedlings and more generosity on the part of neigh- 



