In every orchard Autumn stands 

 With golden apples in her hands. 



Alexander Smith 



Gardeners be 

 Propagandists ! 



A 



RECENT motor trip that took 

 in the most important summer 

 resorts, towns, suburbs, and cities of 

 four Eastern states left me — a stay- 

 at-home gardener — considerably astonished at the fewness 

 of gardens along the way. Not only were they few in neigh- 

 borhoods where their being would be dependent upon the 

 owner's desire for flowers and his willingness to work for them; 

 but where the evidences of wealth would suggest gardens as a 

 matter of course they were not! Not only were real gardens 

 surprisingly absent, but there were innumerable places that 

 did not show even a gay head of Phlox, or a clump of Peonies. 

 This was particularly true of the towns and villages. Our 

 trip was not a garden pilgrimage, and we did not get out and 

 peer over walls in search of hidden beauties, nor enquire at 

 gate lodges if there were gardens within; but the gardener's 

 eye is ever alert for a ray of bloom, and had it not been 

 for the tangle of Chicory and Chimney Pink that bound the 

 roadsides, the flash of the Turk's-caps from the swamps and 

 then the Sabbatia on Cape Cod — a sight worth coming many 

 a mile to see — my eye would have had a dour experience as 

 far as flowers were concerned. Here and there was a garden, 

 that still marks the day upon which we saw it as different 

 from the rest — a little blue and gray garden at Black Rock, 

 a few wondrous visions through iron gates at Newport, a 

 flower-smothered tea house at Provincetown, an occasional 

 bright door yard — but only enough to emphasize the 

 general lack. 



Gardening, I am forced to believe, is not nearly so general 

 as 1 thought Jt was. There are, it seems, hundreds of thou- 

 sands of persons in suburban and country neighborhoods, 

 in towns and villages, to whom a bare piece of ground pre- 

 sents no challenge. Who feel no urge to manipulate it and 

 see something lovely arise before them. A majority ap- 

 parently feel no urge even to hide the garbage can, or the 

 unsightly chicken yard by planting a few shrubs. Many are 

 entirely contented in the midst of a blank green lawn; too 

 many are not even concerned with a lawn. 



Of course there is no use scolding away at readers of the 

 Garden Magazine. That they all have flourishing gardens 

 goes without saying; but is it not sad that so much of the 

 world knows not this joy that we know? 



Few to-day deny the good influence exerted by beautiful 



THROUGH THE 



GARDEN GATE 



X&ise'BiMlder 



Ofutfibr gTMy&arcfeifancf ''OofiurmMy -garden " 



surroundings, and who shall say that more flowers and more 

 gardens would not as soon induce a wrangling world to peace 

 as many another measure? A man concerned for his choice 

 Asters, careful of his small alpine treasures is nearly always 

 a contented man; he who lingers to see the opening of such 

 an Iris as Isoline is not likely to go forth to take part in vio- 

 lence. Gardeners' dreams, of course — but maybe with a 

 grain of truth. The influence of small things is incalculable. 

 So gardeners, let's be propagandists! Let us increase the 

 membership of our garden clubs, try harder than ever to 

 arouse the civic pride of our towns and villages, give away 

 bits of our choice roots and seeds to our indifferent neigh- 

 bor instead of urging upon him stuff of such a rampageous 

 character that it will soon threaten to run him off his own 

 place — and be ready to help all beginning gardeners to the 

 best of our knowledge and ability. The gift we offer is pure 

 gold and how true it is, as old George Herbert has it, 



Blue 

 Petunias 



Who shuts his hand, hath lost its gold; 

 Who opens it, hath it twice told. 



THIS summer I have enjoyed very 

 much the so-called " blue " Pe- 

 tunias. Of course they were not blue 

 but they were violet, dark and rich 

 and without a hint of the family color — magenta. Here 

 and there one of less pure color appeared but these 

 were pulled out. On cloudy days their color quality was 

 quite piercing. The flowers are large and more velvety in 

 texture than are Petunias usually. Altogether these blue 

 Petunias are a real acquisition. Here they were planted in 

 large stone pots, but they would constitute a delightful edging 

 for a summer and autumn border in violet and white. Such 

 a border might contain Phlox Wanadis, Physostegia virginica, 

 Gladiolus Blue Jay, Campanula pyramidalis, both the blue 

 and the white, white and lavender Stocks, purple and white 

 China Asters and Michaelmas Daisies of all sorts. 



The new Rosy Morn Petunia — small and vivid pink, is also 

 a delightful flower. Borders edged with it are kept gay 

 throughout the summer and autumn. Petunias in the past 

 have been ill used, poor seed planted and too often in mixed 

 varieties. But now with these two fine kinds at our disposal 

 as well as the frilly white ones, better things should be in 

 store for them. No plant so sturdily defies a dry summer, 

 none is better for window boxes and garden pots, none blooms 

 more riotously by the sea. In its new varieties it is a flower 

 for every garden, lovely and reliable; but it should be given 

 sunshine and the seed is best started indoors in boxes of pre- 

 pared earth during March. 



104 



