THE JOYOUS ART OF GARDENING 



times four arches, set at equal distances from the centre, 

 formed the central feature of the garden. Over an arch roses 

 were usually grown. 



Sun-dials were present in the old gardens, but by no means 

 inevitable. The chief point to be observed in placing them 

 is the obvious one of their being in the sun, and being where 

 one may easily look at them. A good place for a sun-dial is 

 at the convergence of several paths, or — ^if there is some other 

 central feature — at the end of a path. 



The Planting 



In the first place, if the traditions be at all correct, our 

 great-grandmothers seem not to have been troubled in the 

 least by our nervous anxiety about the color schemes — ap- 

 parently the garden didn't have any. Nor did they stand by, 

 trowel in one hand and little plants of ageratum in the other, 

 ready to pull up hyacinths or tulips the second they stopped 

 blooming and insert a substitute. With the comfortable green- 

 ery of the borders of box or the flowering borders of sweet- 

 william or grass pink, it was no very dreadful occurrence if the 

 centres of the beds did stop blooming for a minute. There was 

 always something to watch for in the garden — a leisurely, con- 

 tinuous performance was kept up, as in all gardens that are 

 loved and Hved in, but it was not the lightning-change of a 

 moving-picture show. 



Also the vegetable-garden was not held a thing which must 

 blush unseen. It was frankly intermixed with the flowers. 

 In a dehghtful old garden in Morristown the currant-bushes 

 alternate with the clumps of irises; and on one side apple-trees 

 border the garden. 



Quite as important as what to plant in an old-fashioned 

 garden is what not to plant. First to avoid are these: highly 



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