72 GARDENS PAST AND PRESENT 



than in these in return for the bits and offsets 

 that could be spared from vigorous clumps still 

 often to be found in village gardens. The turn 

 of the wheel had come with a vengeance, and 

 nothing would serve but that we must have our 

 herbaceous borders back again. Very few indeed 

 realised the difficulties ahead, and even now, after 

 the lapse of so many years, those same difficulties 

 are not altogether out of sight, except in one 

 direction, that of being able to obtain unlimited 

 material to work upon. Like our gardeners, we 

 had become accustomed to the order and neatness 

 of smooth-shaven lawns and trim flower beds. 

 Those who possessed ample resources provided for 

 a double flowering season. In November their 

 borders were filled with hyacinths, crocuses, tulips 

 all the tempting suggestions of the Dutch bulb 

 lists. Wallflowers, primroses, forget-me-nots, 

 double daisies were called in to help, and added 

 to the joys of spring. By the end of May, all 

 these, whether they were past their beauty or not, 

 had to make way for the summer occupants of 

 the beds. The majority of garden owners, how- 

 ever, having less ample resources, and possibly 

 only one solitary gardener, had to forego spring 

 bedding and to content themselves with bare brown 

 earth during the winter and spring; but this self- 

 denial was not seldom rewarded by an earlier blaze 

 of summer beds and ribbon borders, which was 

 consoling. Though the monotony became un- 

 bearable after a time, at any rate we had colour 

 and we had neatness two factors in the case not 

 to be despised. 



