THE COUNTRY HOME [CHAPTER 
that my father planted nasturtiums as borders for 
his onion bed, and he flanked his corn fields with 
hollyhocks. It was his delight to see people point 
at their crimson glory with their long driving 
whips, as they went by to market or to church. It 
was one of his poems — the poem of a beautiful 
character. 
Along one side of the vegetable garden may 
properly be placed a strip of sage, summer savory, 
mints, fennel, rosemary, etc. They all like rich 
and mellow soil. The old-fashioned herb garden, 
which constituted such a feature of our mother’s 
horticulture, is no longer needed, since we buy our 
ground sage and other condiments, yet a few of 
these old-time friends will take up little room, and 
will frequently serve a good purpose. Summer 
savory is especially fine for soups, and can be 
grown in any good garden soil. 
I append a list of such seeds as you will find most 
desirable, classified according to the month for sow- 
ing. In February and March we should have a 
few cabbage, lettuce, parsley, pepper, radish, and 
tomato seeds starting in a hotbed, or in boxes. It 
is a good way to use up some of the tin cans that are 
a puzzle and a pest to get rid of. Perhaps the best 
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