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CONCERNING HARDY PLANTS 



9 

 THE SEED BED FOR HARDY FLOWERS 



WHEN the Cortrights first came to Oaklands, ex- 

 pecting to remain here but a few months each summery 

 their garden consisted of some borders of old-fash- 

 ioned, hardy flowers, back of the house. These 

 bounded a straight walk that, beginning at the porch, 

 went through an arched grape arbour, divided the 

 vegetable garden, and finally ended under a tree in the 

 orchard at the barrier made by a high-backed green 

 wooden seat, that looked as if it might have been a 

 pew taken from some primitive church on its rebuilding. 



There were, at intervals, along this walk, some bushes 

 of lilacs, bridal-wreath spirea, flowering almond, snow- 

 ball, syringa, and scarlet flowering quince; for roses, 

 Mme. Plantier, the half double Boursault, and some 

 great clumps of the little cinnamon rose and Harrison's 

 yellow brier, whose flat opening flowers are things of a 

 day, these two varieties having the habit of travelling 



all over a garden by means of their root suckers. Here 

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