THE WINTER GARDEN 



Most of us plant a few evergreens about our 

 homes. Sometimes we are fortunate enough to 

 locate them where they will prove effective. 

 Oftener we put them where they have no chance 

 to display their charms to good effect. They do 

 not belong near the house — ^least of all in the 

 " front yard." iThey must be admired at a dis- 

 tance which will soften their coarseness of habit. 

 You must be far enough away from them to be 

 able to take in their charms of form and color 

 at a glance, to observe the graceful sweep of their 

 branches against the snow, and to fully bring out 

 the strength and richness of color, none of which 

 things can be done at close range. Looked at 

 from a proper and respectful distance, every 

 good specimen of evergreen will afford a great 

 deal of pleasure. But it might be made to afford 

 a great deal more if we were to set about it in the 

 right way. Why not make our evergreens serve 

 as backgrounds against which to bring out colors 

 that rival, to some extent, the flowers of summer? 



Have you never taken a tramp along the edge 

 of the woodland in winter, and come suddenly 

 upon a group of Alders? What brightness 

 seemed to radiate from their spikes of scarlet 

 berries! The effect is something like that of a 

 flame, so intense is it. It seems to radiate 



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