98 MY GROWING GARDEN 



to me very much worth while. And the third 

 time was even less labor and more bloom, for I 

 omitted the sowing, and the flowers that came 

 anyway used some of the manure dug into that 

 border after the poppy time to double their size. 

 They were entirely volunteers, and seemingly with 

 spirit accordingly, in contrast to the conscription 

 of prosaic seed sowing. 



At a right angle to the poppy border, and also 

 along the barberry hedge, a long planting of sweet 

 william has been a lovely June feature. Even if it 

 didn't bloom at all, this old favorite would be 

 desirable because it is such a cheerful and con- 

 venient ground cover, standing more shade than 

 is reasonable. I am this year trying it out in 

 separate colors, but I may be disappointed in the 

 bloom effect — can any flower mass show more rich- 

 ness than a good mixed strain of this dianthus ? 



Breeze Hill does not as yet boast of a really 

 good peony garden. The reason is purely financial; 

 for I find I have a troublesomely expensive taste in 

 peonies, I had an idea that all these more expensive 

 sorts, of the noted growers, represented principally 

 the fancier's taste. I was ''shown," and by myself! 

 One memorable June I went with several flower 

 friends, one a language-slinging professor of horti- 

 culture in an eastern college, to visit Farr's great 



