28 HOME FRUIT GROWER 



It is certain that little else can be added to the ornamental planting, 

 for the lawn is tiny as it is. But yet plants whose first value is not 

 edibility can be squeezed in here and there. The narrow grass strips 

 along the drive, so shaded that grass will not grow, have been covered 

 with Pachy sandra terminalis and Lily-of-the-Valley for foliage and 

 flowers, and Squills and Snowdrops shoot up in the Spring. Against 

 the piazza I have ferns, only the Cinnamon and Interrupted- ferns 

 (Osmunda cinnamomea and 0. Clay ton iana), for these give the greatest 

 foliage to the plant and are permanent as a Peony. With them I 

 have planted light-colored Darwin Tulips. 



Lilies, the tall hardy sorts, as L. tigrinum, L. speciosum, L. Henryi, 

 L. elegans, L. superbum, L. regale, L. Sargentiae, I am adding to the 

 Asparagus bed to the detriment of neither. Narcissus of all sorts form 

 an irregular row under the Grape trellis; a double row of Gladiolus 

 divides the salad garden. I am now trying to find a few more spots 

 where flowering herbs can go in among the fruits and vegetables with- 

 out taking up valuable room. 



Six window boxes of the self-watering kind are placed on the 

 piazza rail. As they are on the shady side of the house, I have shade- 

 enduring herbs. For main effect there is a very vigorous double- 

 flowered form of red everblooming Begonia. Two boxes of them in 

 the house in Winter fill the six in Summer. The inner side droops 

 in Wandering Jew (Tmdescantia fluminalis), green and variegated. 

 As it is tender a sufficient stock is carried over Winter in the two boxes 

 of Begonias in the house. The front face is Moneywort (Lysimachia 

 nummularia) . As this is hardy it is dumped in the vegetable garden 

 in the Fall and divided again for the boxes in the Spring. When I 

 want the boxes different I can use the other Wandering Jew (Zebrina 

 pendula) and the Begonia can vary to any of the semperflorens type 

 in pink, rose and white. 



For the initial planting of this lot, it would require about fifty 

 dollars, but I obtained many plants by exchange, gift and seed. The 

 yearly cost for seeding and plants is less than five dollars, allowing for 

 a few new vegetables and bulbs each year. For tools I have spade, 

 spading fork, two hoes, wheel hoe and attachments, lawn mower, 

 pruning and grass shears, wheelbarrow and knapsack sprayer. There 

 are other tools I would like, but I make out with the present equip- 

 ment. As for time, it takes about a day a week during the growing 

 season (an hour or two daily); but for planting and first weeding at 

 least two days a week are required. By keeping the permanent 

 plantings mulched with dry litter and grass clippings, the weeding of 

 many beds is nearly avoided. 



This lot gives fruit and vegetables the year round for a family of 



