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Gardening for Amateurs 



A Lavender Hedge. 



Flower Garden Herbs 



EVERY flower garden ought to con- 

 tain a few herbs, for by reason of 

 their fragrant leaves or blossom they 

 invest the beds and borders with an old- 

 world charm. What, for instance, can be 

 more delightful than a Lavender hedge 

 in the little formal garden, the rose garden, 

 or dividing the flowers from the fruit 

 and vegetables ? It is attractive through- 

 out the year, though especially so when in 

 bloom, and the dried flower spikes are 

 indispensable. In the following notes the 

 chief herbs suited to the flower garden 

 are described, and the reader is told how to 

 grow them. 



Lavender. It is scarcely necessary here 

 to remark on the value of Lavender in the 

 commercial world, in the home, and in 

 the garden. Lavender water is one of the 

 most popular of all perfumes, and the 



fragrant flower spikes when cut and dried' 

 are in great demand. Lavender is easily 

 grown. It thrives best in well-drained, 

 rather light soil, and prefers a sheltered 

 position. In exposed spots and in heavy 

 soil it is not usually satisfactory. It is 

 readily propagated by cuttings inserted in 

 sandy soil in a cold frame or under a hand- 

 light in August and September. Make the 

 cuttings from shoots of the current year's 

 growth, 1| to 3 inches in length, inserting 

 one-third of each cutting in the soil. Re- 

 move the tips of the young plants early in 

 February to make them bushy. In spring, 

 late March or early April, plant them on a 

 border out of doors. It is advisable during 

 the first season to pinch off the tips of the 

 shoots several times to ensure the prodiic- 

 tion of side branches. By the following 

 September or October, a year from the time 



