®K,e J^iouSies’ 
lortit 
SBuiliinTi uui3 .ftetoriral 
OUR NEW DEPARTURE. 
There were two of us, and both were fond of flowers. 
As we understood the matter, it was a good founda¬ 
tion upon which to attempt a garden of our own. 
Hitherto our experience had been limited to a window 
in winter, and a small balcony in summer; now we 
would have a real garden. 
The cottage we had engaged for our summer home 
stood near the centre of an acre or rather more of 
land. Scattered around, without much regularity, but 
with some pretensions to beauty and 
variety, were various elms, firs, a few 
apple trees, three hawthorns, a tulip 
tree, and a catalpa. Only the elms anil 
apples could boast of much size, with 
the exception of a large cherry, which 
made a delightful shade for us, and fur¬ 
nished a home for a large colony of 
birds. 
What had formerly been used for the 
flower-garden, contained the remains of 
various perennials and shrubs. Beyond 
it was a largo arbor covered with a 
grapevine—a native variety—making a 
charming walk, from its great length, 
and giving promise of a tempting seat 
in summer, as well as a good yield of 
fruit. 
It was early spring when we took 
possession of our new home, almost too 
early to commence out-door work, for 
the season was very backward. Only a 
few brave Daffodils turned their golden 
petals toward the sun, and one cluster 
of delicate Blue-bells. 
Wo laid out our garden in the form of 
a wheel, about forty feet in diameter. 
The walks extended from the outer 
circle to the hub, in a manner to form 
six oval and six triangular beds. The 
centre bed is a small circle; this we 
elevated about eighteen inches, and 
grassed over, leaving a small space in 
the middle for flowers, should we feel 
disposed to use it. 
As the season progressed we found 
many annuals, which had sowed them¬ 
selves the previous autumn, and now 
pushed out from under the old leaves, 
looking strong and handsome. These 
we removed in clusters to different parts 
of our circle, and soon had line stools of 
Golden Core opsis, Candy-tuft, Borage, 
Larkspur, Mignonette, and some other 
unknown varieties, which we trusted in the future 
would present us charming flowers. Some of them 
did turn out to bo nettles and purslane, but we con 
soled ourselves with the thought that more expe¬ 
rienced gardeners than wo did not always avoid mis¬ 
takes. Be assured wo did not nurture them long. On 
one side of the walk leading to the arbor we found a 
“ Southernwood bush.” For the sake of “auld king 
syne ” we favored the sweet-scented shrub, and made 
it the centre of a bed which we devoted to old- 
fashioned plants. Transplanting and uprooting when¬ 
ever we found anything appropriate, we placed it near 
the Southernwood. Thus, we soon had in our corner 
Goose’s Tongue, Sweet-brier, Tiger-lily, and a balm. 
As everything seemed precious in our eyes, we spaded 
and pruned up a quince-tree for a back-ground to 
the bed, and then planted underneath the common 
myrtle, which gives such beautiful blue flowers in 
early spring, and the foliage of which makes lovely 
trimming for dresses in summer evenings. In due 
time the large pink flowers of the quince made it a 
most charming shrub, while even as I write the rich 
golden fruit, which afterward adorned its branches, is 
being prepared for a sweetmeat fit for the palate of a 
king. Outside of our circle we devoted a large space 
in crescent form for a rose bed, the walk which formed 
the outside limits extended on by the flower plot and 
through the arbor. To this we removed all the roses 
we found on the grounds, and bought a dozen varieties* 
the flower-stand, hid our Smilax pots in a shady cor¬ 
ner, and devoted ourselves to our new garden. The 
package of flower-seeds in which we invested, turned 
out a gorgeous array of blooms from the Morning 
Glory, which climbed mountains high, to the starry 
Nemophili, which charmed us till heavy frosts had 
come—everything repaid us for our toil. Our shrubs 
vied with each other in growth and beauty, beginning 
with the Hawthorns and Double Flowering Peach in 
May, and ending with the Hydrangea, Paniculata, and 
Althea, in September and October. A dozen Ver¬ 
benas, purchased of a florist, kindly did their share 
toward the general success. 
And now, as we look at our array of pots all filled 
and ready for our winter’s pleasure, and 
walk around gathering handfuls of the 
late-blooming flowers scattered every¬ 
where about, we feel glad at heart for 
the happiness afforded and the expe¬ 
rience learned. With the start now 
obtained and the 'knowledge gained, we 
hope another year to have equal if not 
better results. Meantime, we shall de- 
vote ourselves with renewed pleasure to 
our 
‘ window garden.” 
Amatfhr. 
SCENE IN FAIRMOIJNT PARK, PHILADELPHIA. 
mostly Perpetuals, which we scattered around with 
due regard to color and size. It was this crescent Rose- 
bed which proved the trial of our patience that we 
trust will be purifying. Beginning' with that charm¬ 
ing creature, the gage-bug, and progressing step by 
step through all the known and unknown species of 
insects and worms, to the minutest of spiders, we 
waged “ perpetual ” warfare. At length the right 
weapon was found, and victory crowned our efforts 
with wreaths of roses. 
By the first of June we ventured to transplant our 
house-plants, and as we had successfully started many 
cuttings we found our beds well filled with most of the 
well known bedding plants. We laid our Calla under 
the Syringa for its summer’s rest, piled our Cacti on 
Amaranths.— Violet tells us of her 
Amaranths. I wonder if they were as 
thrifty as some I had. One plant meas¬ 
ured over three feet in diameter early in 
the fall, and it grew s< me after that. A 
perfect white ball of blossoms. I have 
a frame in my garden which has stood 
three years, made of two-inch pine, 
foot wide, long and high at the sides, 
and in the centre shaped like a house. 
Around I plant cypress vine, scarlet and 
white. I wait until the ground is warm 
in the spring and no danger of frost, 
tl en make a drill fully an inch deep, 
pour phnty of boiling water from the 
1<a-kettle in, one side at a time. As 
soon as the water settles so that I can 
drop the seeds in mud without having 
them float away', I drop Hum in an inch 
apart and cover with dry earth. I find 
they gemiinate so quickly and grow so 
vigorously. Try it, if you never have. 
I find the practice a good one with 
many kinds of seeds, varying the tem¬ 
perature of the water to suit the seeds. 
When I start seeds in the house, I water 
the earth thoroughly with warm water, 
t then put on it the seeds, then cover with 
dry earth, then put glass over them. 
They seldom need watering until the 
plants are up. 
If Aunt Minerva will dam her table and all other 
linen with threads the size used for weaving thecloth 
to be mended, she will have a more sightly job than if 
done with knitting cotton. Darn in a thread for every 
one in the linen and weave carefully. If contributors 
would tell us when their successes were achieved, we 
should learn more from them. It makes a decided 
difference to a beginner whether the suggestions she 
tries to follow are suited to Elorida or to Maine. A 
lady gave me some Coreopsis when I was a child. 
She called them “ Black-eyed Susans,” an expressive 
and appropriate title. 
Cynthia. 
Peabody, Kansas. 
