The Colorado garden enthusiast who has to do every bit of 
her gardening herself, has undoubtedly the very finest 
opportunity in all the length and breadth of the United 
States, for training, developing, and perfecting, — not 
a garden, no indeed! but a character. Above all perennials 
she must cultivate perennial optimism. The best results she 
can get in the way of annuals will be from annual 
determination. No vines can obtain for her such success as 
her patience, trained and tended. The reasons these admirable 
traits of character achieve such flourishing growth in 
Colorado's garden season, are few and simple. In December 
it is often so dry that shrubs and perennials that are not 
watched with argus eyes, die of drought. February adds a 
parching wdnd to the blazing sun. In April, a succession of 
lovely days tempt the unwary whose array of seed packets 
is at hand. Once the poor little seeds are in the ground there 
comes rain and a little snow, and then more rain, so the seeds 
rot. Sometimes the early seeds come up. Then if it doesn't 
freeze late in May, it manages to do so in June. New seeds are 
planted and these sprout. Now begins the struggle with 
irrigation. It ought not to be very hard to turn on a 
sprinkler and adjust it. The hard part is that the sprinkler 
must be set about five in the morning and carefully maneuvered 
till nine. Otherwise the hot sun bakes the freshly moistened 
earth to adobe consistency and scorches the leaves. Then why 
not water in the evening? Simply because the combination 
of mile-high nights and mountain water, chills and checks all 
growth. 
The aphis, spiders, beetles and scale may yield at last and the 
garden finally reflects its owner's determination. Then in 
September, sometimes quite early, comes the frost. And the 
gardener's beauty of character is complete. 
Compiled Isy Members of the Garden Club of Denver. 
The Magic In the Aspen grove the sunlight makes a pattern of dappled 
OP THE light and shadow on the slender, straight, white tree trunks. 
Quaking It flashes on the water of the tiny stream and turns the moss 
Aspen here and there to emerald velvet. The fluttering, dancing 
Groves little leaves overhead whisper and laugh. Do you know Avhy? 
It is because of their delightful secrets shared with the Spirit 
of the Aspen Grove. Her very existence and her whereabouts 
are secret. But the little trees all know her and rejoice in the 
loveliness of her lithe, shimmering whiteness, her shadowy 
hair, her laughing eyes, and her fluttering tunic of palest green. 
The Aspen Spirit began her magic long, long ago : each spring she 
renews it. Early in the season she persuades the sunbeams, 
after they have routed the snow hosts, to leave their glittering 
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