48 AN ISLAND GARDEN 



suckle, Wistaria, and Wild Cucumber, my porch 

 will, indeed, be a bower of beauty ! Then against 

 wall and fence I set out the stout bushes of single 

 Dahlias which have been growing ever since last 

 January. A new variety called Star of Lyons in- 

 terests me. I am anxious to know what it is like, 

 what its color, what its shape. It is such a pleas- 

 ure always to be finding new varieties and com- 

 binations, fresh surprises in unfamiliar flowers. 

 Seeking the smallest posy bed I own, into this I 

 transplanted another stranger, Papaver Alpinum 

 Roseum, a rose-colored Iceland Poppy. How I 

 shall watch it grow, and how eagerly wait for it 

 to blossom ! Eight egg-shells full of it were set 

 down and carefully watered. Next, a row of 

 baby Wallflowers were established in a long line 

 near the tall ones that are thick with buds. I 

 am going to try to have a succession of bloom 

 from these, if it can be accomplished, all summer. 

 In another bed I began to set out a few of the 

 choicest Sweet Peas, the new kinds ; these were 

 already a foot long from tip to root ends. I have 

 no words to tell what pleasant work this is! 

 After the Sweet Peas were comfortably settled, I 

 covered the whole bed with a length of light 

 mosquito net, pegging it at the corners, laying 

 sticks and stones along the edges to hold it down, 

 so that the saucy sparrows should find no loop- 

 hole by which to wriggle inside, they having 

 watched the whole process with interested eyes 

 from their perch on the fence-rail. How beauti- 

 ful it^was to be sitting there in the sweet weather, 

 working in the wholesome brown earth! Just be- 



