THE GARDEN AT HOME 



the trunks of trees, though he may not realise until he 

 becomes interested how greatly one differs from another, 

 how one is grey, another green, how one is smooth, 

 another furrowed, and how the tints change as the seasons 

 pass. 



In late autumn, when the first frosts have marred 

 the beauty of the flowers, the glory of the leaves impresses 

 one. What a wonderful death is theirs ! In dying they 

 add a fresh luxury of colour to the garden that gave them 

 birth. It is true that in the home garden, circumscribed 

 in extent and limited in scope, there can be no such 

 picture as Nature paints on the hills and in the valleys 

 of the country-side when autumn has laid flaming torch 

 to the woodland and lit the fires of the waning year. 



There, as " autumn's fire burns slowly along the 

 woods," green glows to yellow or flames to gold, brown 

 burns to red and red to scarlet, and a tapestry, inimitable 

 in design, incomparable in display, grows wondrously 

 beneath the inscrutable working of Nature and her 

 seasons. But within the garden boundaries one may work, 

 if not so gorgeously, at least with good effect, for there 

 are several small trees or shrubs that give exquisite autumn 

 colouring. The Red Oak (Quercus ruber) is not quite so 

 brilliant as some, but its red-brown leaves, when lit by 

 the October sunshine, yield pride of gaiety to few. This 

 is a most satisfactory kind of Oak for the small garden, 

 for none grows more quickly. 



Two other Oaks that fade most brilliantly are Quercus 



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