THERE ARE GHOSTS 



THERE are ghosts of gardens 

 In crowded city ways, 

 And memories of the fragrance 

 Of bygone days. 



Where once has bloomed a garden 

 Its spirit hovers yet, 

 For rose and branch may fade and fall, 

 But earth does not forget. 



OF 

 GARDENS 



Oh, folk who plant your gardens 



By wall and paven street, 



Make them beautiful 



And make them sweet, 



That earth be haunted fragrantly 



When they have passed away, 



And dreams may capture tired hearts 



Upon a summer day! 



HILDA MORRIS 



And that is why, in April, 



Or on a summer day, 



Your dreams sometimes to gardens 



Are spirited away. 



Above the city's clamor 



You hear birds sing, 



And catch the scent of lilacs 



Blossoming. 



A LITTLE CORNER IN NATIVES 



FLORENCE TAFT EATON 

 Wild Flowers that Flourish in the Shade, Giving a Foundation Planting of Graceful Informality 



IOR more than thirty years this northeast corner of ours 

 has been planted with wild growths. We have made 

 no attempt to lay out the bed regularly, but specimens 

 are obtained when met with on our rambles and excur- 

 sions and set where space allows, with the general idea of massing 

 tall Ferns and flowers at the back and centre, lower growing 

 plants in front, and of supplying bloom at all seasons. The 

 early flowering spring plants die down as the season advances 

 and are purposely over-shadowed by later blossoming varieties. 

 We allow Herb Robert to spread over shaded empty spaces. 

 We find that the bed is more luxuriant and less shabby if we 

 keep it well watered in dry seasons; and when planting, as much 

 wood soil as possible is added. Late every fall it is covered with 

 light leaves, enough of which decay, although raked off in early 

 spring, to add a little humus each year. 



The accompanying plan and list of wild flowers and Ferns 

 which flourish in this shady niche next our porch may help 

 others solve the problem of bare corners with which nearly every 

 house is afflicted. 



Eight-inch grass border which binds in the whole. 

 Eight-inch band of Viola cucullata; patches of Mandrake 

 and other vigorous growers have been purposely allowed 

 (as irregularity of planting was desired) to encroach 

 upon it. This Violet border must be rigorously cut each 

 year, as it is a tremendous self-seeder. 

 Evonymus — not wild, but included as it best covers the 

 bare space beside the window. 



i. 

 2. 



10. 



1 1. 

 12. 



13- 



Tall Ferns: Cinnamon, Interrupted, and Royal (three 

 forms of the Osmunda) ; also the beautiful Ostrich Fern. 



Irregular belt of early spring flowers, allowed and encour- 

 aged to intrude upon the Violets; False Solomon's-seal, 

 Lady's-slipper — of which we obtain fresh roots each sea- 

 son as, being a biennial, it is a matter of luck if self- 

 seeding is accomplished; Bell-wort — most beautiful, and 

 spreading delicately far beyond its immediate neighbor- 

 hood; Rue and single Anemone; Columbine; Bloodroot; 

 Hepatica, etc. Among these we set low growing Ferns. 



Patch of Mandrake — having a great tendency to "spread," 

 and severely cut out each spring. 



Canada Lily. Note the giant specimen in the picture, the 

 seed-pods of which are retained for self-seeding. One 

 of the most beautiful inhabitants of our bed. 



Meadow-rue — having a short season, but very beautiful. 



A slowly increasing patch of Lobelia cardinalis — on the 

 successful transplantation and permanence of which we 

 especially plume ourselves. 



Wild Iris — from which, according to all the plant laws of 

 the Medes and Persians, we should never have succeeded 

 in obtaining bloom in such a situation! 



Trillium. 



Jack-in-the-pulpit. We still possess the original grand- 

 father plant, tremendous after thirty years of growth! 



Giant Solomon's-seal — the tall, graceful sprays luxuriant, 

 and altogether lovely. Increases rapidly. 



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