CHAPTER IX 



IN INDIAN SUMMERS 



In " Indian summers " the September garden is a place Sept. 

 of joy. The dehcious, dewy mornings have the freshness 

 of April, the noons have the warmth of June, the even- 

 ings are mild and sweet. Statisticians might reply to 

 any rhapsodies on Indian summers by the production of 

 figures which prove that they are rare in Great Britain, 

 but what gardener ever takes any notice of a statistician? 

 Horticulturists are a class unto themselves, and if they 

 elect to make their plans as though every September 

 could be trusted to give the ideal conditions for garden- 

 ing, who will declare them foolish and misguided ? 

 Is it unwise to provide that the garden shall be pleasant 

 through every hour of September ? Is it misguided to 

 put late-blooming, fragrant plants near a favourite seat ? 

 No, no. If some days are wet, others are fine, and at the 

 worst the flowers can be cut and carried into the house. 

 My view is that we should wring the last drop of 

 enjoyment out of a garden. We should never let our 

 interest in it slacken while there is one plant blooming, 

 or one blade of grass growing, or one fruit on the trees, 

 or one pod left on the Scarlet Runners. We should 

 work in September, weather permitting, with as much 

 zest as if the year were beginning. The fact that sports- 

 men of the classes have begun partridge shooting, and of 

 the masses football ; that the regatta season is over, and 

 the great outdoor exhibitions are announcing their last 



