16 Hardy Plants for Cottage Gardens 



"I don't think anything of it; it's impossible," said 

 he. "Rocks brambles, you can't make a garden out of 

 them." 



For a brief moment his denial shook my confidence; but a 

 cherished hope is long-lived, and thrives amidst thorny ob- 

 stacles. 



"It is pretty discouraging," I urged, "but what of all my 

 plans my dreams my charts ? I can't give it up. Nowhere 

 else is there a stone wall with a grape-vine and trees in happy 

 propinquity." 



Then he turned a full masculine gaze upon me. "You 

 ought to have known there were rocks there and bushes; there 

 are plenty of places, why choose the hardest possible spot on 

 the farm?" 



" Oh yes," pleaded I, " plenty of spots, but not garden spots. 

 I don't want to go about digging any more holes in the ground 

 at random. I want to decide on a place already selected by 

 Nature as a favorable location, and build up where she has 

 begun. The very size of these bushes proves the fertile con- 

 ditions," I urged, laying desperate hold upon the most obvious 

 impediment and bending it neatly to my argument. " This 

 is the only suitable place on the entire farm. Besides, it is 

 not only near the house and the well, but it has natural ad- 

 vantages and features," and I glibly enumerated them again, 

 forgetting that for weeks I had talked of little else than of a 

 certain stone wall, grape-vine and apple-tree. 



He looked sceptically about him. " I've heard of them be- 

 fore, and if you like the idea of that grape-vine, and stone wall 

 and apple-tree, why not enjoy them just as they are? why 

 tangle them up with the garden question? My advice is, 

 don't make yourself any unnecessary work; any place will 

 do." Here he arose, and paused; "I'm sorry for your disap- 

 pointment, but you must surely see for yourself that it is 



