78 Hardy Plants for Cottage Gardens 



like countless watersheds, and only when they fall do the walls 

 ever get wet. There are two varieties of Virginia creeper, one 

 with light green, rather thin leaves, that turn a bright scarlet 

 in the autumn, the other has heavier glossy dark green leaves 

 that turn a dark maroon at the edge before frost comes, and 

 bright crimson later. The second variety is the stronger and 

 more beautiful of the two. 



Adam devised an ingenious use of a dumpheap of rocks and 

 ddbris, the accumulation of former generations, by having the 

 stones piled as compactly as possible, and held in place by a 

 retaining wall. When leveled, he earthed it over, and sowed 

 it with grass seed, and the result is a broad terraced driveway 

 across a swale. It is edged with oaks and maples that had 

 found lodgment in the original heap, and having now at- 

 tained enormous size, they complete one of the most pictur- 

 esque features of our premises. 



There are three plants that have no value for flowers that 

 give a delicious perfume to a garden; one, a low herb, whose 

 trade name is Ambrosia Mexicana, also Southernwood or boy 

 love, because it seldom bears any flower (Artemesia Abro- 

 tanum), and sweet fern (Artemesia annua), which grows four 

 feet high with delicately cut fern-like leaves, small greenish 

 inconspicuous flowers, and green stems that turn red in au- 

 tumn. The odor of it is both sweet and aromatic. It is also 

 said that Kochia scoparia is very attractive as it turns a beau- 

 tiful red in autumn. I bought it under the name of Belvidere 

 (Kochia trichophila) which makes the same claim, and either 

 I got a wrong variety, or something was amiss, for it was not 

 beautiful at any season. 



I have used sumach extensively about the house for the sake 

 of the beautiful foliage both in summer and autumn: it turns a 

 flaming red under the first frost. The creamy green flowers 

 are borne in great panicles, which turn late in September to a 



