SPRING BUDS AND BLOOMS 73 



live. To give these rhododendrons a reasonable 

 chance, a trench two and a half feet deep was dug, 

 close up to the intruding maples. Next the maples 

 one trench was lined with heavy slates on one 

 side, and in the other a cement-mortar brick wall 

 was built, to keep out the hungry maple roots. 

 Then these great and noble rhododendrons from 

 the mountains were planted thickly in precious 

 leaf-mold, better than that they came out of. A 

 foot-deep mulch of leaves was put over the filled 

 trench, and the hose turned in for hours. 



The rhododendrons have said "Thank you,'* 

 and have gone right on blooming and growing, 

 giving me a bit of the wild glory of the hills in 

 June, and all the time the lovely greenery of their 

 leaves. I have watched and watered and mulched 

 them continually. Whenever in the days above 

 freezing temperature their leaves droop, it is a 

 pathetic request for a drink, and I hear, heed 

 and water. 



Along the border are the wild children of the 

 woods. As I cannot possibly fill it all in one 

 season — ^nor do I want to — the wild blue violet 

 has been permitted to spread. It will grow in any 

 soil, and soon possess the neighborhood, if one is 

 not ruthless and careful. But it is a wonderful 

 sight these May days to see the thousands of its 



