272 WITH THE FLOWERS AND TREES 



their bit of rest, even as you and I, and if you use all 

 of California's twelve-months-in-the-year of grow- 

 ing weather to keep them going all the time, they will 

 sooner or later play out. Of course by proper selec- 

 tion one will have something blooming at all seasons, 

 but there is a low tide and a high tide just as else- 

 where in the world. Summer, indeed, with its en- 

 tire absence of rainfall is the natural resting time 

 for most plants on the Coast, and to make a showing 

 of flowers then is the gardener 's most exacting task. 

 As a matter of fact, the wise ones let things follow 

 their bent and judiciously encourage dormancy in 

 summer; for instance, by withholding all but a 

 minimum of water from roses. With, the coming 

 of September, pruning, thorough watering and gen- 

 eral stimulation are resorted to for the production 

 of those winter flowers which are expected by every 

 winter visitor. 



An overwhelming degree of bloom, however, is not 

 to be counted on in the season of short days and 

 occasional frosty mornings, which make for re- 

 tarded growth. Nevertheless, in gardens every- 

 where, there is always a good winter showing of 

 such herbaceous plants as violets, stock, calendulas, 

 sweet peas, carnations, English daisies, pansies, 

 verbenas, marguerites, mignonette, sweet alyssum, 

 and geraniums, and, in the more sheltered situations 



