THE GARDEN BOOK OF CALIFORNIA 



about "hardy stock" — for which the Eastern nurseryman 

 is not to blame, however — a few more about your own 

 "bad luck" in gardening, and then, worst of all, you grow 

 discouraged; you have lost valuable time, and you must 

 begin all over again. 



Now I should advise, as of first importance, Western- or 

 Northern-grown stock. There are plenty of honest growers 

 of nursery stock on the Pacific Coast, and they have made 

 the experiments and will save you time and loss of money. 

 Experiment if you like; try to grow from cuttings, which 

 your neighbors donate, if you will. Half the fun of gar- 

 dening is in this sort of experimenting; but if it is roses you 

 want, and want those right quickly, then buy good-sized 

 plants, well rooted, of a reliable firm of rose growers, and 

 put your ground in proper condition to receive them. Fur- 

 ther suggestions as to planting are given toward the end of 

 this chapter. 



The roots of your rose trees are not very large, and, pro- 

 vided the soil is kept stirred and "sweet," roses will stand 

 some crowding. The surface of the ground, however, in 

 this climate, should always be kept open. Roses sur- 

 rounded with grass, as on a lawn, for instance, are rather 

 unsatisfactory. 



Splendid hedges may be seen in Southern California 

 made entirely of roses. The white single Cherokee is very 

 useful in this way, especially near the sea, where the blos- 

 soms reach greatest perfection and where the foliage seems 

 to be more dense and compact than in the interior. A 



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