30 A GARDEN DIARY 
SEPTEMBER 14, 1899 
Epes. it may be in other gardens, 
seed-sowing, I find, to be the very centre 
and kernel of this one. The sowing of seeds 
is apt to be accounted merely a matter of the 
raising of a due supply of annuals, salpiglossis, 
nicotiana, lobelia, nemophila, clarkia, bartonia, 
godetia, ‘‘and a long etcetera.” With us it is 
the permanent, the perennial occupants of our 
flower-beds which must either be grown from 
seed, or else not grown at all. This fact was 
early impressed upon our minds, and in a very 
summary and effectual fashion, such as Nature’s 
fashion of instilling indispensable truths for the 
most part is. 
It was three years ago, and we were a pair of 
destitute garden-owners. We had however good 
friends, with large gardens. The connection was 
perfectly self-evident. Without a moment’s hesi- 
tation the basket went round. The response was 
noble. Plants came to us from North, South, East, 
and West, especially West. Alas for those plants ! 
