THE WELL-CONSIDERED GARDEN 



are fine to see, and the delicately cut yellow-green 

 of spirea foliage is charming, covering the earth 

 where irises have sprung. Back of these are the 

 young peonies all filled with rounded buds, straight, 

 handsome, and distinct against the smooth-shaven 

 grass beyond the border on either side. 



July, and the tardy spirea Die Walkure in this 

 border has not flowered yet. Brownish buds are 

 held above every plant and soon there will be 

 bloom. Although there are now no flowers along 

 the walk, the effect of various types of plant foU- 

 age is exceedingly good. Blue-green leaves of 

 Iris pallida Dalmatica rise among all the spireas at 

 regular intervals — to be exact, eighteen irises on 

 either side; back of these, away from the walk, 

 are dark-green peony leaves; toward the walk are 

 lines of drying stems of English iris, pale-gray 

 mounds of the hardy alyssum, which I shall 

 have to confess failed to do well this year, 

 but which shall have another invitation to this 

 spot, next time by means of seed-sowing, not 

 transplanting. 



In May zinnias in those pale tones I so much 

 fancy were sown among the myosotis leaves; by 

 mid- July they were opening their first flowers; and 

 from that time on, the walk was gay till late 



136 



