7° 
CHILDREN'S GARDENS 
in 
had a partial remedy, as I was given by my 
mother a little hard cushion covered with a 
piece of old drugget or carpet. It had a loop 
sewn on one end, so that I could carry it easily, 
and very useful I found it, for I was able to 
kneel on the hard gravel paths between, and 
reach all over the small beds of my trim garden. 
For the paths themselves, a good hoeing with a 
Dutch hoe and then careful raking up of weeds 
will keep them in order. 
If your little beds are edged with box, 
February is the best time to attend to them. 
They may want clipping, or parts may require 
replanting, if they have been allowed to grow 
too tall, and any gaps must be filled up. I 
found I generally had enough to fill the spaces 
where plants had died by dividing the thickest 
places. The miniature bushes come easily 
apart. But should you want a great deal, and 
cannot manage enough division, and no fresh 
boxes can be given you, the best plan is to 
wait till the autumn, and take cuttings from 
your best plants. Put them in a partially shady 
place, and they will soon root and be ready to 
arrange into your edging the following spring. 
In setting the box, press the soil very firmly 
along the rows, as that helps to keep them dwarf. 
Of course there are many other things besides 
box for edging, and if your beds are bordered 
