84 FLOWER GARDENING 



say exclusively, hardy. Nor is there a valid reason 

 why it should be any more than there would be 

 for the prohibition of flowers from a zoological 

 garden. As a matter of fact, some of the finest 

 hardy gardens have liberal plantings of annuals. 

 To such a purpose most annuals lend themselves 

 admirably, especially when planted in a naturalis- 

 tic manner to double-crop the patches of ground 

 given over to spring bulbs. That so many of them 

 are natives of tropical or subtropical countries is 

 no argument against them. Few appear out of 

 place in a northern garden in which they are the 

 secondary note. Perhaps they ought to, but they 

 just do not. 



The long season of the hardy garden is always 

 a revelation to those who, by the use of only tender 

 bedding plants, have been accustomed to think of 

 the flower garden as having its annual beginning 

 late in May and its end in September. If the 

 proper thought be given to planting, the hardy 

 garden, which is little affected by cold in either 

 spring or autumn, will have no less than seven 

 months April to October inclusive that are 

 really good ones. There are forty or fifty reliable 

 kinds of flowers that will bloom in April, and, if 

 October has fewer at her command, the numerical 

 deficiency is more than counterbalanced by the 

 showier display. 



But a hardy garden ought to give some enjoy- 

 ment to the eye the year round, and will, even 

 above a heavy winter blanket of snow, if only a 



