8 The Flower Garden [Chapter 



whole length of its blade and twisting it around. 

 This breaks up and mellows the ground more effectu- 

 ally than turning it over, while it leaves the good soil 

 on top where the young plant-roots can get it. Later, 

 when the plant grows sturdier and stretches out its 

 roots in search of food, the manure-enriched earth 

 in the bottom of the bed will attract and draw them 

 down into its cool, moist depths, away from the heat 

 and drought of the surface. But the young plants 

 must have mellow, nourishing soil from the start, 

 or they will perish before they reach this store-house 

 provided for the mature plant. 



Never prepare a garden by turning under the sod. 

 I am well aware that this, together with turning under 

 the surface-soil, will be the method of the average 

 man who has had some experience of farming, but 

 the flower-grower cannot always follow farming 

 methods with safety. 



After spading the beds it will be well to inclose 

 them with some such permanent material as brick, 

 cement curbing, or narrow boards. Four-inch siding 

 set in the ground an inch or more, and held in place 

 on each side by pegs of wood (old waggon spokes, 

 which can usually be found at the blacksmith's, are 

 excellent for this), make the cheapest and most 

 quickly constructed inclosure, and may be quite cov- 

 ered with such border-plants as Dusty-miller or Phlox 

 subulata. The boards may be given a coat of dull- 

 green paint or shingle-stain before being put in place. 



