March, 1910 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



95 



Fig. 1 — The entrance to the formal garden photographed nine months after planting 



Amencan Homes and Gardens' Garden Competition 



The Fourth Prize Garden 

 Won by Mrs. Anna H. Condict, of Essex Fells, N. J. 



HREE and a half years ago, I knew 

 nothing about flowers, except to have a 

 few palms and ferns about my home in 

 winter, and a bed of geraniums or coleus 

 on the lawn in summer. Because of poor 

 health, the doctor advised an out-of-door 

 life. At this time a friend lent me Mrs. 

 Ely's book, "A Woman's Hardy Garden." On reading it, 

 I was filled with en- 

 thusiasm to have a 

 flower garden, es- 

 pecially as she re- 

 marked that the 

 best success in 

 flower culture was 

 obtained by people 

 in middle life. Chil- 

 dren are then grown 

 up, family cares 

 lighter, and society 

 less alluring. Sure- 

 ly then I was fitted 

 for the work! I 

 would strive for 

 "masses of color" 

 and "succession of 

 bloom." Not one 

 plant of a kind, but 

 a hundred of each, 

 all of my own rais- 

 ing; that should be 

 my ambition. I little 

 realized at that 

 time the great 

 amount of work 



;,<^'y>'-'/r-i^ 



ahead of me before 1 could achieve my object. But I 

 have, in this my fourth summer, succeeded. For I have 

 not only greatly improved my health, but I have also a 

 fine kitchen garden, and a formal garden of which I am 

 quite proud. Flowers are everywhere, of fifty different 

 kinds, in beds close up to the house, along the driveway, 

 and edging the walks in the vegetable garden. I can point 

 to 2,000 perennials, 2,000 asters, and 500 other annuals, 



raised myself from 

 seed. Three and a 

 half years ago, owing 

 to my ignorance of 

 the best flower seeds 

 for a beginner to work 

 with, I decided to buv 

 a "collection of an- 

 nual flower seeds," 

 containing twentv- 

 five packets, for 5 1 ; 

 also a "suburban gar- 

 den collection of veg- 

 etable seeds" for 

 52. "^0. With these I 

 began m y work. 

 Garden magazines 

 and books were 

 read, directions fol- 

 lowed as nearly as 

 possible ; but the re- 

 sults of the first 

 season's endeavors 

 were anything but 

 satisfactorv. Seeds 

 planted too deep 

 Fig. 2 — The plan of Mrs. Condict's garden failed t O appear 





(irciss 



