EARLIER FLOWERS 



ugly arrangements of shrubs. The need of space 

 is sometimes responsible for such ugliness, where 

 one's ground is small; but more often the reason 

 is that I forget the larger aspect of the place while 

 busy with small plantings. As an example: no 

 more room last autumn for peonies, yet a small 

 collection had been ordered and was due to arrive 

 — a question where to put them. All shrub bor- 

 ders, before which peonies nearly always look 

 well, but where the fine collector would not plant, 

 had been long since packed to suffocation, not 

 only with their own roots but with spring bulbs 

 and perennial plants too, mainly with foxglove, 

 peony, crocus, and daffodil. Looking about for 

 room, I decided upon a stretch of grass in the 

 far southwest corner of the expanse of orchard 

 before the house. Here two or three old apple- 

 trees had died and been removed. The corner 

 was well screened in by masses of willow, elder, 

 dogwood, and other flowering shrubs, and a little 

 plantation of Japanese flowering cherries was 

 started in the open lawn. The grass was hardly 

 grass; chickweed had overflowed the spot. Here, 

 because of the open position, no large tree roots in 

 the way, and not too much shade, we placed such 

 treasures as Kelway's Glorious and others in our 



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