AUTUMN WORK IN GARDEN 



sented, rather, a period of complete greenness before 

 the opening of the autumn blossoms. The remark- 

 able photograph (plate xlvi.) represents a garden in 

 Salem, Massachusetts, which is well over a hundred 

 years old and lies not far distant from the sea. As 

 a tangled mass of foliage, it is ineffably charming, 

 yet there is not a blossom to be seen in it. To-day, 

 however, owing to the results of hybridization, the 

 importation of foreign plants, and the multitudinous 

 varieties from which a garden can be made, the necessity 

 of seeing it pass out of bloom temporarily is overcome, 

 even as the winter garden is now made less dreary 

 than formerly through the encouragement of ever- 

 green plants. 



Undoubtedly, the most important autumn work of 

 the garden is to prepare its inhabitants to meet the 

 winter. This must be done judiciously, since some 

 plants require but slight protection, while others need 

 a truly heavy winter coat. As a rule, seaside gardens 

 can stand a fairly warm winter covering. I am familiar 

 with several gardens, even at considerable distances 

 from the sea, wherein not a hardy plant is left unpro- 

 tected; and at these places there is little, if any, loss 

 during the winter. 



In some gardens placed near the edge of the sea, 

 extraordinary protection is required to keep the plants 

 and shrubs from freezing or from being hopelessly 

 injured by cold salt spray. Gnomes, goblins, romping 

 children, and witches might be thought to chase each 

 other through one garden by the Sound, should a 

 stranger venture there on a cold, moonlit night of 



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