42 Old Time Gardens 



now in many front yards that remain. The lovely 

 full-flowered shrub of Peter's Wreath, on page 41, 

 which was photographed for this book, was all that 

 remained of a once-loved front yard. 



The glory of the front yard was the old-fashioned 

 early red " Piny," cultivated since the days of Pliny. 

 I hear people speaking of it with contempt as a 

 vulgar flower, flaunting is the conventional 

 derogatory adjective, but I glory in its flaunting. 

 The modern varieties, of every tint from white 

 through flesh color, coral, pink, ruby color, salmon, 

 and even yellow, to deep red, are as beautiful as 

 Roses. Some are sweet-scented ; and they have no 

 thorns, and their foliage is ever perfect, so I am sure 

 the Rose is jealous. 



I am as fond of the Peony as are the Chinese, 

 among whom it is flower queen. It is by them re- 

 garded as an aristocratic flower; and in old New Eng- 

 land towns fine Peony plants in an old garden are a 

 pretty good indication of the residence of what Dr. 

 Holmes called New England Brahmins. In Salem 

 and Portsmouth are old " Pinys " that have a hun- 

 dred blossoms at a time a glorious sight. A 

 Japanese name is " Flower-of-prosperity " ; another 

 name, " Plant-of-twenty-days," because its glories 

 last during that period of time. 



Rhododendrons are to the modern garden what 

 the Peony was in the old-fashioned flower border ; 

 and I am glad the modern flower cannot drive the 

 old one out. They are equally varied in coloring, 

 but the Peony is a much hardier plant, and I like 

 it far better. It has no blights, no bugs, no dis- 



