84 FLOWER GARDENING 
say exclusively, hardy. Nor is there a valid reason 
why it should be—any more than there would be 
for the prohibition of flowers from a zoological 
garden. As a matter of fact, some of the finest 
hardy gardens have liberal plantings of annuals. 
To such a purpose most annuals lend themselves 
admirably, especially when planted in a naturalis- 
tic manner to double-crop the patches of ground 
given over to spring bulbs. That so many of them 
are natives of tropical or subtropical countries is 
no argument against them. Few appear out of 
place in a northern garden in which they are the 
secondary note. Perhaps they ought to, but they 
just do not. 
The long season of the hardy garden is always 
a revelation to those who, by the use of only tender 
bedding plants, have been accustomed to think of 
the flower garden as having its annual beginning 
late in May and its end in September. If the 
proper thought be given to planting, the hardy 
garden, which is little affected by cold in either 
spring or autumn, will have no less than seven 
months—April to October inclusive—that are 
really good ones. There are forty or fifty reliable 
kinds of flowers that will bloom in April, and, if 
October has fewer at her command, the numerical 
deficiency is more than counterbalanced by the 
showier display. 
But a hardy garden ought to give some enjoy- 
ment to the eye the year round, and will, even 
above a heavy winter blanket of snow, if only a 
