The Gardeners Miscellany 
Mid-March. Spring is upon us. We have heard the "Peep- 
ers" in the swamps; have seen if not yet heard, a Robin; have 
seen the golden pollen blowing from the Alders, yet we must 
wait in patience for that vague moment characterized on all 
seed packets as "as soon as the ground can be worked." Mean- 
while, have we remembered to prune all our hardy Roses ; made 
our diagrams and notes ; ordered our plants, seeds and fertilizers ? 
If so we can take a long breath and watch the yearly miracle, 
this God-given proof of Immortality — the coming of spring. 
Little The more I garden, the more convinced I am that the luckiest 
Gardens mortal is the woman with the small garden and the strength to 
take care of it herself. More pure joy is gotten from one choice 
hybrid Rhododendron, bought with your "Christmas money" 
and planted yourself in humus you have gathered from the 
woods, than in an impersonal carload planted by your landscape 
gardener. One Peony, Soulange, or plant of Delphinium, Capri, 
Which you have nursed through black-spot and mildew gives 
more pure satisfaction than a thousand of the same lovely things 
bought and planted by the gardener and arranged by the parlor- 
maid. A copper bowl holding three blooms of a new Spanish 
Iris (the bulbs of which you have probably smuggled in by 
hand) , holds more thrills for you than your neighbor can possibly 
get from her perfect garden planned and planted while she was 
in Europe. It is the personal touch, it is more than that, it is 
the personal effort, sacrifice of time and money combined with 
forethought, which makes the little garden more charming, allur- 
ing, lovable than the larger one. If your garden must be large, 
have a quiet personal corner in it which you have planned and 
planted, and in which sanctum no alien hand is allowed to dig. 
(The alien can confine himself to "edging up" and running 
the mower at judicious intervals.) 
Borders When planning combinations of plants for your large beds 
and or borders, consider the background first, and then think of 
- Back- your plant material by months, — thus: 
GROUNDS 
Background: A trellis covered with creamy Gardenia Bose. 
May: Iris, Pallida Dalmatica, and Tulip, Clara Butt. 
June: Peony, Marie Crousse, and Campanula lactiflora. 
July: Delphinium, Capri, and Thalictrum Glaucum. 
August: Phlox, W. C. Egan, and Spark's Aconite. 
September: Dahlia, Cecile, and Aster, Amythistlnus. 
October: Early Chrysanthemums. 
For the border use Hardy Garden Pinks (Dianthus plumarius) ; this 
combination will form a satisfying picture all summer long. They 
should be planted in groups of three or six according to the size of your 
border, with Thalictrum and Asters toward the back. 
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