September, 1911 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



59 



and literature. Its atmosphere should be 

 one redolent of the past associations of 

 the race and of the family. 



To plant separate beds in different 

 color effects is possible only upon a small 

 scale. Too large masses of color distrib- 

 uted in a small garden produce a spotty 

 or streaked effect — a picture garden is 

 really good only when — as Miss Jekyll 

 admits — there is nothing else in sight. 

 The gradation of color through whites and 

 blues to the yellows, oranges and reds is also 

 impossible or unsatisfactory in the small 

 garden. After trying many things I am 

 convinced that the mixture of colors 

 in not too large masses with plenty of 

 white and blue scattered through to bring 

 things together is after all the only method 

 applicable to the small yard garden. It 

 permits one to have flowers all the year 

 in the greatest abundance, and all of the 

 flowers that one really loves. If ugly 

 magentas and reddish purples are weeded 

 out there are practically no unpleasant 

 contrasts, and one need not be too partic- 

 ular even about these. In the ensemble 

 they take care of themselves just as they 

 do in the brilliant patches of color seen 

 along our railroads. 



Such a mixed garden requires a minimum 

 of labor to secure an abundance of bloom 

 at every season. With perennials scattered 

 through it, the spaces between are filled 

 in with favorite annuals at intervals during 

 the early and middle summer that Septem- 

 ber and October may yield their abundance. 

 A seed-bed and cold-frame are essentials 

 for eight months of flowers in constant 

 succession. When one's plan has fairly 

 well evolved itself and has been fairly 

 well carried out so that walks and beds 

 are in reasonably permanent positions, 

 the amount of labor necessary to keep a 

 garden in such shape as to yield a constant 

 .abundance of bloom for itself and for the 

 house is not great, an average of half an 

 hour daily will do it well. 



It is not necessary to have a garden ab- 

 solutely free from weeds. If the choice 

 between garden and weeds must be made, 

 better have a weedy garden than no garden. 

 Even in the vegetable garden it is possible 

 to have better vegetables than one can 

 buy, all through the season, without 

 constant cultivation. I cultivate my vege- 

 table plot rarely and give it about two 

 thorough weedings during the season. 

 Except in very dry weather it yields us in 



abundance, although its appearance often 

 hurts my pride. But I cannot have it 

 otherwise, as I haven't the time to do the 

 work myself and cannot afford a gardener. 

 Therefore, I say, better a weedy garden 

 than no garden at all. 



Another cause of overwork in the garden 

 is the desire to have at once an absolutely 

 finished garden. Take time — take the 

 remainder of your life to work it out. 

 Don't start with a fully developed plan on 

 paper as the garden experts are always 

 telling us. Let your garden grow from 

 year to year, and change things to suit 

 yourself as your mind changes, which will 

 be about every year. Gradually your 

 ideal will become realized, radical changes 

 will become fewer and you can hope to 

 pass the sunny hours of old age in a garden 

 that to you is perfect because of its asso- 

 ciations with past years. 



At first it will be hard to swallow one's 

 pride over the unweeded corners and the 

 unfinished state of things. I confess this 

 has been my trial, but five years of practi- 

 cal experience in evolving a garden to a 

 point where I can say for the first time that 

 some of its features will be permanent 

 ones, has taught me to be content with 



This is the kind of garden that gives its owner real pleasure — a maximum of results with a minimum, of labor. In it he grows just what he likes personally 



and strives not after pure color effects at a sacrifice of personal indulgence 



