ANNUALS WORTHY AND UNWORTHY 81 



which June would not be June, but an imperfect 

 harmony lacking the dominant note. 



Down close to the earth, yes, in the earth, the same 

 obtains. Upon how few of all the species of annuals 

 listed does the real success of the summer garden rest ? 

 This is more and more apparent each year, when the 

 fittest are still further developed by hybridization for 

 survival and the indifferent species drop out of sight. 



We often think erroneously of the beauty of old-time 

 gardens. This beauty was largely that of consistency 

 of form with the architecture of the dwelling and sim- 

 plicity, rather than the variety, of flowers grown. 

 Maeterlinck brings this before us with forcible charm 

 in his essay on Old- Fashioned Flowers, and even now 

 Martin Cortright is making a little biography of the 

 flowers of our forefathers, as a birthday surprise for 

 Lavinia. These flowers depended more upon individ- 

 uality and association than upon their great variety. 



First among the worthy annuals come sweet peas, 

 mignonette, nasturtiums, and asters, each one of the 

 four having two out of the three necessary qualifications, 

 and the sweet pea all of them, fragrance and decora- 

 tive value for both garden and house. To be sure, the 

 sweet pea, though an annual, must be planted before 

 May if a satisfactory, well-grown hedge with flowers 



