180 A Little Maryland Garden 
haps every one knows this little trailing 
plant, but I did not till 1 made a garden 
of my own. It seems to grow everywhere, 
in sun or shade; and in the lower garden, in 
out-of-the-way corners where there is no 
lawn, Creeping-Jenny covers the ground 
with a bright carpet of tender green. In its 
flowering season it opens a quantity of pale 
yellow cups. If left alone it makes a thick 
mat. One can pull up layers of it, and find 
underneath a fine deposit of black mould 
from tiny rotted leaves and stems, that must 
enrich the ground. I like this thick carpet 
particularly under the altheas, for it catches 
the shower of seeds, and prevents them from 
getting to the earth to take root. One has 
to watch it well, for it sends tiny sprays into 
the flower beds, and between the stones of 
walls, gradually insinuating itself into places 
where it is not wanted. The blue-flowered 
periwinkle is also useful for making a covering 
for neglected places, but its dark, rather 
sombre foliage is not so pleasing as the clear 
green of Creeping-Jenny’s leaves. 
