3 8 AN ISLAND GARDEN 



the centre, delicately gorgeous. There are almost 

 endless varieties and mixtures of color ; they are 

 full of surprises. The Star of Quedlinburg is 

 such a pretty, quaint change rung upon this 

 pleasant theme of Phloxes. The centre of the 

 outer line of each petal is drawn out at the edge 

 like the tails on the under wings of the Luna 

 moth. These long tails in which each petal ter- 

 minates give the flower the aspect of a star with 

 rays. "Ask of Nature why the star form she 

 repeats," says Emerson. It is forever repeated 

 among the flowers. 



At bird-peep, as the' country folk have a charm- 

 ing way of calling the break of day, I am in my 

 dear garden, planting and transplanting, hoeing, 

 raking, weeding, watering, tying up and training 

 those plants that need it, and always fighting for 

 their precious lives against their legions of ene- 

 mies. There is a time of great danger upon the 

 island from the birds when they are migrating 

 northward. They come suddenly down from the 

 sky in myriads, on their way to the continent, 

 and I have known them to strip the little plot of 

 every green shoot in a single day, utterly bare. 

 Nothing but fishing nets draped over the whole 

 space will save the garden when these hungry 

 hordes descend. But I do not lose patience with 

 the birds, however sorely they try me. I love 

 them too well. How should they know that the 

 garden was not planted for them ? Those be- 

 longing to the thrush tribe are the most mis- 

 chievous; the others do not disturb the flower 

 beds so much. The friendly robin, though a 



