146 
The Garden Magazine, November, 1920 
light and that are yet a little outside the list of tools, are a“ Gar- 
den Notes” loose-leaf book with a permanent binder for keeping 
such of these as may be of permanent value, boxes of labels large 
and small, and especially those made for attachment to stakes, 
raffia for tying up plants, a pair of long, flat baskets for gathering 
flowers and fruits (likewise the seed 
heads as these are snipped off daily), 
a set of the metal hangers com- 
monly used in broom closets, for 
hanging each tool separately on the 
toolhouse or toolroom wall, an oilcan 
for oiling tools, a file for sharpening 
them, and a small gaily painted 
garden barrow in which to wheel all 
the small things about. This is 
more practical than a earning bas- 
ket, for the latter is always crowded 
and heavy too; and the barrow af- 
fords a convenient place to stop and 
rest a moment as well as a step from 
which to reach things otherwise just 
out of reach, providing of course that 
it is a well balanced little barrow. 
If not, add a low step to its contents. 
Of greenhouses, frames and forc- 
ing devices generally it is not neces- 
sary to speak, more than to suggest 
that they are highly desirable as 
garden gifts, since always warmly 
welcomed by a gardener. So now 
we come to the purely ornamental 
accessories, of which 1 wish to say at 
once that they must be chosen with 
care, and with understanding of 
their proper situation and surround- 
ings quite as much as of their recip- 
ient’s taste and garden uses. While 
a bit of ornamental sculpture well 
placed and suitably led up to, as 
well as suitable in spirit and significance in relation to its 
surroundings, is forever a thing of beauty and a joy, the 
whole effect may be distorted into an offense against reason 
and good taste if this suitability is lacking. No degree of 
merit in the sculpture itself will permit of its wrong use. Do 
not undertake to offer a garden ornament, therefore, unless you 
know beyond a doubt all the factors that will enter into its dis- 
posal, as well as the gardener’s preferences. 
Similarly, the introduction of an arbor or a seat or any other 
feature, as a matter of fact, should be decided by the garden’s 
requirements. For nothing is more disconcerting or embarras- 
sing to a garden design than such an element 
thrust into it without its invitation or inten- 
tion. Garden furniture indeed requires more 
restraint in its choice and disposal than fur- 
niture indoors — and that is 
saying a very great deal! 
Plants, bulbs, or seeds as 
gifts are something we all like 
WEEDING MADE EASY 
Recent improvements in garden tools have shown greatest re- 
sults in the modern hand weeders. The “9-tooth adjustable” 
and the “Rocker hoe. models” make duty a real pleasure 
to contemplate for the pretty sentiment involved and, person- 
ally, 1 think there is nothing nicer. Yet even here selection 
should be governed by discretion, and the gardener’s floral taste 
as well as his gardening opportunities should guide the choosing. 
The living Christmas tree is a delightful idea; but many a gar- 
den cannot entertain another one 
of these without crowding out some 
already established and prized spe- 
cimen. And a Rose in bloom, which 
may go into the garden in spring- 
time, may be just one Rose too 
many for that particular garden, as 
likely as not. 
Of bulbs offered at the late season 
of holiday wares we all know that 
very little can be expected. They 
are like children out of bed at 
midnight; so if you wish to give 
bulbs, plant them in pots now — • 
ornamental ones if you like- — and 
give them a chance to do you 
credit when the proper time comes 
by having prevented them from 
drying up completely. 
Seeds seem to offer the surest 
and perhaps the most interesting 
horticultural material that there 
is; for of novelties it is possible 
to send something, as well as of 
old and well-known favorites. And 
the gardener is not distracted by 
the sense of responsibility, which 
all gardeners feel toward a living 
plant, when it is just a packet of 
seeds that awaits his, or her, at- 
tention. If a novelty is not de- 
sired, choice may fall on a plant 
having special significance for both 
giver and recipient perhaps, and 
seeds representing a complete assortment of this in all its vari- 
ations will be a most interesting gift. 
And, finally, there are the books — some scientific and dry, 
others gay and entertaining, and a goodly number that are 
scientific enough to be helpful, gay enough to be entertaining, and 
practical enough to be actual manuals of garden work, all in 
one. The writings of recognized authorities in their respective 
branches are always good reading to the real gardener, whose 
garden is an ever-present interest no matter what the season. 
He finds in the long winter evening the coveted opportunity to 
gather fresh information and impetus. There is so much always 
to be learned and planned! That is why when once the garden 
has gripped us, it never lets us go; last summer’s successes and 
failures alike seem to have the power of 
spurring us on. So, toasting our toes before 
the open fire, with some good new garden 
book as a companion, we mull ^ ^ 
and dream over what we shall * 
do next spring. 
A sifter for the various insect 
powders is a great aid to the 
ever-vigilant gardener in his 
death-dealing campaign. It 
comes also in upright canister 
form with a handle by which 
it is easily carried about 
The indispensa- 
ble trowel and 
secateurs 
Two small hand culti- 
vators effective in use 
Tags of this sort are a great 
help to the systematic gar- 
dener who likes to keep. his 
plant family in order 
