3 ^ 
Old Time Gardens 
show a formality of arrangement, for they were laid 
out by a Dutch gardener whose descendants still 
live in Salem. All had summer-houses, which were 
larger and more important buildings than what are 
to-day termed summer-houses ; these latter were 
known in Salem and throughout Virginia as bowers. 
One summer-house had an arch through it with three 
doors on each side which opened into little apart- 
ments ; one of them had a staircase by which you 
could ascend into a large upper room, which was the 
whole size of the building. This was constructed 
to command a fine view, and was ornamented with 
Chinese articles of varied interest and value ; it was 
used for tea-drinkings. At the end of the garden, 
concealed by a dense Weeping Willow, was a thatched 
hermitage, containing the life-size figure of a man 
reading a prayer-book ; a bed of straw and some 
broken furniture completed the picture. This was 
an English fashion, seen at one time in many old 
English gardens, and held to be most romantic. 
Apparently summer evenings were spent by the 
Derby household and their visitors wholly in the 
garden and summer-house. The diary keeper writes 
naively, “ The moon shines brighter in this garden 
than anywhere else.” 
The shrewd and capable women of the colonies 
who entered so freely and successfully into business 
ventures found the selling of flower seeds a con- 
genial occupation, and often added it to the pursuit 
of other callings. I think it must have been very 
pleasant to buy packages of flower seed at the same 
time and place where you bought your best bonnet. 
