A Little Maryland Garden 49 
the family, without any particular idea that 
they would grow. This accidental arrange- 
ment forecasted the ultimate shape of the 
border, which was to be shallow for a space 
after it left the brick wall, and then sweep 
forward well into the lawn, with space in its 
curve for a good supply of plants. 
My first planting of it, however, was re- 
restricted to a rather narrow space of uniform 
width. And I may say that, almost without 
exception, it was a failure. I wanted plants 
that would give a tall mass against the wall, 
and to this end set out hollyhocks and 
English delphiniums. When I took this 
border in hand, I had been reading about 
English delphiniums till I felt that the garden 
would be a barren spot and life an empty 
thing without them. Probably the low, 
moist situation did not suit them, for they 
pined, and never held up their heads until 
they were moved, two years later, to another 
part of the garden. Before these tall flowers 
I set out peonies, a group of scarlet lychnis, 
and Oriental and Iceland poppies. The 
4 
