XVI 
CALIFORNIA 
The garden section of this State extends the length 
of its coast, and possibly fifty miles inland, and much is 
conveyed in a few words when it is described as one garden 
throughout this whole region. In the hill country moun- 
tains are admirable settings to tropical gardens, and from 
there to the sandy shores a delectable climate with pre- 
vailing westerly sea-winds encourages phenomenal growth 
of the choicest plants. 
Southern California is particularly blessed with a clear, 
dry, and balmy climate. Quoting an authority in Santa 
Barbara: “There is practically no frost in southern Cali- 
fornia; in the north there is some. There are flowers in 
our gardens at all times of the year. Tulips bloom in 
February and March; Daffodils, German Iris, and other 
hardies from February to May; also Lilies-of-the-Valley, 
which latter are more scarce on account of the dryness of 
the atmosphere. From March till autumn there is bloom 
from Sweet William, Phlox, and many others of their 
kind, while Geranium, the common Marguerite, and Heli- 
otrope grow all the year around and become large bushes. 
Roses cover the tops of some villas; Cosmos, California 
303 
