FLOWERS FOR SUBURBAN GARDENS 351 



in gardening, or to have a great deal of spare time, in order to 

 make a small garden attractive; the second, that the improvement 

 of ground has an admirable moral effect. 



The most common cause of failure in suburban gardening is 

 the cramming in of many kinds of plants, irrespective of their 

 habit and their suitability for the conditions under which they 

 have to grow. Suburban gardens might be divided into three 

 classes : those that do not exceed three to six square rods in area 

 and are worked entirely by the owner; those which run to ten 

 or twelve rods and are worked by the owner with the help of a 

 jobbing gardener ; and those which extend to half an acre and are 

 mostly controlled by hired labour. The first of these three classes 

 is perhaps the largest. Thousands of people have such gardens, 

 and they sometimes make the mistake of trying to grow flowers, 

 fruit, and vegetables together. 



In view of the fact that constant supplies of vegetables are 

 brought to the doors of suburbanists daily, we do not think that 

 it is wise to give up the precious space of a very small suburban 

 garden to them. The most that we should do would be to grow 

 a row or two of Peas and Beans, because it is of particular im- 

 portance to have these quite fresh and unmixed, and the green- 

 grocer's supplies do not always fulfil these conditions. We should 

 certainly not attempt to grow Potatoes, particularly if our soil was 

 heavy, because we should expect to be able to buy them of better 

 flavour, and quite as cheaply as we could grow them ourselves. 

 We should not grow Beetroot, Carrots, and Parsnips, because 

 these roots can be bought quite fresh. And least of all should 

 we grow any kind of greens, because the sulphuretted hydrogen 

 that gathers about them in wet weather is very disagreeable. 

 Celery is an admitted delicacy, but the objection to it from the 

 suburban gardener's point of view is that it takes up more room 

 and entails more labour than is justified by results. And good, 

 fresh Celery is always procurable in its season. 



