122 MY GROWING GARDEN 



of a fairy. On summer moonlight nights this Lady 

 Nicotine is queen of the fairies, indeed ! 



The nicotiana comes easily enough, for once 

 planted, it seeds itself into the ground, to ofiFer 

 next spring any quantity of young plants. 



The tall and stately perennial delphiniums 

 were a point of garden interest through June and 

 until mid -July, as they dominated the "blue 

 bed.'* I wish I had more of them! I had; about a 

 thousand seedlings from selected jflowers formed a 

 moonlight meal for several predaceous snails one 

 season, and I have lost a season since. By the 

 way, I have cut off the spent stems, right to the 

 ground, in the main delphinium bed, added some 

 encouraging sheep-manure and bone dust, and in 

 consequence can almost see the new stems grow. 



Hardy phlox is not yet right in my garden. It 

 blooms, but not so prosperously as it ought to. I 

 have expectations and hopes! But I do have, 

 even in July, the first scarlet plumes of Salvia 

 splendens, and the rich blue blooms of its sister 

 S. patens. They serve to carry along the bloom 

 time in a month not very floriferous, because the 

 sun is too ardent. July is midsummer, and the 

 leaf greens are now in full and fine maturity. 



