GARDENING FOR LITTLE GIRLS 
a circle around the base, to the tree at any height 
desired, and here plant either the scarlet runner or 
the hyacinth bean. 
Still another way is to plant two poles 8 or 10 
ft. apart, and have a stick nailed across the top, 
like the ridge pole of a tent. Drive pegs into the 
ground along each side, in parallel lines 6 or 8 
ft. apart, and tie heavy cords from the pegs on one 
side to the pegs on the other,—carried, of course, 
over the ridgepole. Plant your seeds close to the 
pegs, and in a few weeks your vines will form a 
flower tent. For this purpose, you might use the 
climbing nasturtiums or the wild cucumber vine. 
Or, if you can save up the fifteen cents necessary, 
buy the new cardinal climber, which has clusters of 
five to seven blossoms each, of a beautiful cardinal 
red, from July until late fall. The vine grows rap- 
idly, and often more than 20 ft. long, so that when 
it reaches the ridge-pole, you can let it run over 
the other side, and make a good thick roof. The 
seeds are very hard, however, and so should either 
be soaked over night, or slightly nicked with a file. 
If you get a firm, strong framework for your 
playhouse, you might like to plant a hardy vine 
that would live through the winter and be ready 
for use early next summer without further trouble. 
In that case, you could use the Dutchman’s pipe, 
104 
