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FLOWERS IN THE HOME GARDEN. 



they are benefitted mentally as well as physically. 

 Here, in the contemplation of nature's charms, the 

 troubles and anxieties of daily life are, for a time 

 at least, forgotten ; in the respite fresh strength and 

 courage are gathered for a renewal of the combat ; 

 the senses and the mind are educated ; characters 

 are ennobled, and life itself throws off some of those 

 artificialities which serve to make it irksome, and 

 partakes in some measure of the more agreeable 

 tenor of the immediate surroundings. Who will 

 have the hardihood to deny that the most corrupt 

 mind is beneficially influenced by merely looking 

 upon the sublime and beautiful productions of na- 

 ture ? 



Take a man whose life has been spent in one of our 

 great cities, and place him for the first time in the open 

 country — in a gigantic natural forest or on a large mount- 

 ain — and wonder at the magnificence of his surroundings 

 will speedily overcome him. And when we come to ob- 

 serve the little things of nature, they are found to be 

 as prolific of astonishment as the majestic. If this be 

 true of mere observation, may it not with safety be as- 

 sumed that the action of natural influences is intensi- 

 fied by the closer contact with natural objects which we 

 experience in caring for flowers in the home garden ? 

 The assumption is entirely reasonable. We are better 

 men and women as far as we have something that will 

 strike from our hearts the selfish and bitter thoughts 

 that are too often the result of commercial contact with 

 others ; and, while we learn from that something, and 

 elevate the character in pursuing it, we do, indeed, pos- 

 sess an eldorado. Then fill your vacant yards and gar- 

 dens with flowers ; in studying their peculiarities and 

 supplying their requirements you will find ample com- 

 pensation — the world wil! be better and more beautiful. 



A very important question now presents itself : Should 

 our gardens be as artificial as we can make them, or 

 should they be arranged in a manner as nearly natural 

 as possible, consistent with order and artificial surround- 

 ings ? In answer, I unhesitatingly say that the flower 

 garden should be natural. There are many arguments 

 in favor of this position, but at present I can take only 

 a passing glance at the more prominent. 



Formal and fantastic designs in the flower garden 

 seem to be waning, and it can hardly be regretted that 

 such is the case. The fashion — or craze, as some would 

 call it — which has prevailed so universally for a length- 

 ened period, has swept into obscurity many lovely and 

 deserving plants. They would not submit to the hard- 

 and-fast laws of fashion ; they would not be confined 

 to the narrow and unnatural limits assigned them ; they 

 would persist in growing in their own peculiar way — the 

 most interesting and most beautiful of all — and in con- 

 sequence they were left in some hidden corner to exhaust 

 their vitality in a lingering struggle against the remorse- 

 less and triumphant forces of neglect, or led forth from 

 the garden to die an ignominious death on the rubbish 

 heap. Unhappy fate ! Fortunately, however, every 



one did not fall victim to the fever. Though some had 

 a slight attack, they were yet able to care for the neg- 

 lected plants, as old friends should be cared for ; and 

 accordingly, many things still found comfortable quarters 

 in a few gardens. But, even with that grain of comfort, 

 it is painful to think of the scarcity of many fine old 

 species — the beautiful plants that adorned the rustic gar- 

 dens of our forefathers. By applied energy, however, 

 in the matter of propagation, we will speedily get over 

 the question of scarcity in the majority of cases ; and 

 then our old friends will return to our gardens to glad- 

 den our hearts and inspire poets with pleasing thoughts 

 as they did of old. What poet has sung of carpet beds 

 and ribbon borders ? 



Though the carpet-bedding system has for a time de- 

 prived us of many old favorites, yet we must admit that 

 it has been productive of some good. Our knowledge 

 of the arrangement of colors was decidedly inferior 

 previous to the general adoption of that system. By 

 bringing the colors in close contact with one another, as 

 its requirements demand, we could the mere readily de- 

 tect errors of taste, and our efforts to rect fy them were 

 lightened in proportion. In this respect we have gained, 

 and that considerably. That the gain fully balances 

 the loss is a matter that can be determined satisfactorily 

 only by reference to personal knowledge and experience. 

 A proper disposal of the colors, however, is one of the 

 most important matters with which we have to deal in 

 the effective arrangement of either flowering or foliage 

 plants, and, therefore, anything that may have increased 

 our knowledge of this subject should not be passed over 

 too lightly. But after mature consideration of this, and 

 of all other arguments in favor of carpet bedding, I feel 

 bound to say that it has been prejudicial rather than 

 beneficial to the best interests of the flower garden. In 

 every feature it outraged nature. It is true that all gar- 

 dens must be more or less artificial ; but art should help 

 rather than oppose nature. The chief argument against 

 the system, however, deals with the poor return afforded 

 even after considerable outlay. To maintain it in its 

 perfection entails a large and continual expenditure. 

 Many grow weary of this unceasing strain upon their 

 finances, and, in a few years, the garden becomes an 

 object of neglect. 



I am not disposed to quarrel with those who regard 

 this system with favor. Opinions will continue to vary 

 on this as on other matters in spite of anything that may 

 be said, and I bow to the supreme right of each indi- 

 vidual to say what shall be grown, and how it shall be 

 planted. But there are certain individuals in all com- 

 munities who have, to a large extent, the guidance of 

 taste in such matters, and they are somewhat to blame 

 for favoring the adoption of a costly, not to say unnatural, 

 style, when they know it will ultimately be disastrous to 

 that inherent love of nature and the beautiful. And I 

 am further inclined to find fault with those who, having 

 found incongruous designs or unbroken lines of dazzling 

 colors unsuited to their taste, or finding the maintenance 

 of such a system too costly, become discouraged and let 



