A Little Maryland Garden 7 
with some of its vivid green in fairly good 
order, and all summer its soft tufts of white 
are interposed between highly coloured 
neighbours, that might swear at each other 
but for its harmonising influence. 
But to go back to the beginning, the clay 
waste must be made into a garden. It was 
cut through the middle of its length by a 
brick walk, and I had but one idea in the 
start, to sow it in grass, and not cut the 
lawn up into flower beds. I had never heard 
of William Robinson, and Wilkinson Elliott 
was a stranger to me. It was, therefore, 
instinct that led me to keep my flowers back 
in borders rather than cut up the lawn with 
circles and ovals. And it was necessity that 
guided me in the choice of hardy plants to 
fill the borders. I was away from the house 
all day, except for an occasional holiday, so 
I must choose what would thrive with the 
smallest amount of attention. I wanted 
to put into the ground what would stay 
there and grow willingly, without having to 
be renewed or brought in during the winter 
