Well that this habit has persisted, for, with endless thousands 
of wounded to be cared for, our hospitals would be sad places indeed 
without the floral gifts of the home people. 
When in hospital after being wounded, my ward much resembled 
a conservatory, so generous were our friends with gifts of flowers. 
Yet not once do I remember any arriving boxed Hke laundry or fancy 
merchandise with the florists name garishly displayed on the outside. 
It was not necessary. They were gifts of the heart and not of the 
purse. Florists do not flourish quite so well in England as they do 
here. Even our poor can always afford to buy flowers. 
There never was such need of flowers as now in our war-stricken 
land. Second only to the yearning to smoke is the Britishers' hunger 
for the sight and fragrance of the yieldings of our gardens. Relatives 
must be poor indeed who bring no offering of humble Hlac, sweet peas 
or roses, to refresh and brighten the suffering soldier. The flower 
girls sell them for so little in our streets. 
I never knew gifts more welcome than spring blossoms freshly cut 
and brought by friends to help me in my first month's fevered fight 
for life. Soon, unhappily, we may expect to see your broken defenders 
of liberty over here to continue their struggle for health. They will 
be those out of immediate danger but with much pain before them, 
and many long months within hospital walls between them and 
the glories of the "great outside." Since they will be denied so 
much, let Nature's blossomings be brought to them. Let the gardens 
be rich with blooms, and let the gatherings be dedicated to these 
willing sufferers, then truly wiU they be Fighters' Gardens. 
Sunday in England is the great gardening day, but early morning 
and late evening find thousands of women who give their days to 
war work digging and turning with spade or trowel, finding in flori- 
culture and its labors a soothing peacefulness that tranquihzes minds 
racked with anxiety for loved ones overseas or unnerved by the harsh- 
ness of war. Lee Nichols. 
Late of the Honorable Artillery Company. 
The Council of Presidents' Meeting 
A meeting of the Council of Presidents of the Garden Club of 
America was held Friday afternoon, March 15, 1918, at the residence 
of Mrs. Auchincloss, New York. The President, Mrs. Martin, called 
the meeting to order. 
Mrs. Martin spoke of the deep sorrow that has come to us since 
our last meeting, Mrs. Archibald D. Russell, First Vice-President 
