50 TH.E JOY OF GARDENS 



of life. The enemy must be circumvented by guile; he 

 must be conquered without his knowing it; and he must 

 be left imagining himself victor while the gentle house- 

 wife goes her way quietly enjoying the spoils of conquest, 

 which, when the truth is told, are all that she cares for. 



Granting that the architect has set the house in green- 

 sward with a motto of silence and serenity, eliminating 

 notes of distraction to rest-seeking minds, then choose the 

 other side of the grounds and shield the riot of merry 

 color by a hedge of hydrangeas or castor beans, if he will 

 not permit you to run your sweet-pea screen across this 

 line. Hidden from view of the highroad, one may do 

 what one will with his own, and give no offense to the 

 high-bred taste of the master who contemplates his single 

 clump of Japanese iris in ecstasy, or has made the happi- 

 ness of a summer depend on a mound of flaming cannas 

 edged with calladiums and waving grasses. 



Alas for the apartment-house born and bred who have 

 no memories of old gardens; and joy go with those who 

 are making their first suburban garden of annuals ! Take 

 comfort in the thought that the simple plants are deter- 

 mined to grow if given a chance, and that the books will 

 help the inexperienced. 



We who know just a little, and have stolen a march 

 and prepared the earth, should keep a sunny spot for 

 nasturtiums, which will sprawl or climb and give bloom 

 for bouquets until killing frost. Petunias also enjoy a 



