t 
OUR GARDENING EXPERIENCES. 
REGRETS. 
HE most prolific crop the garden now affords is re¬ 
grets, not as a whole, but as a rule. The half-done 
work of the spring now shows half a crop, or even less, of 
flowers and vegetables. Surface work that looked well 
for a short season, like all superficial things, soon became 
exhausted. The plants soon eat out all the food to be 
obtained on the surface, and the roots were not invited 
down into the rich storehouses below, where there has 
been an accumulation of plant-food for years. Conse¬ 
quently drought and famine have consumed, not the ob¬ 
jects of our care, but the subjects of our neglect. But 
this is only one cause for regret; there are many others, 
even where deep cultivation, liberal enriching and con¬ 
stant care have been given the garden. Careful selection 
of such varieties as would keep up a continuous bloom 
has not been observed. The outlay has been large 
enough, but it has not been wisely distributed. Some 
rare forms and pleasing colors were noticeable in July, 
but they have passed away without any provision for a' 
succession. There is no better time to remedy a neglect 
than when it is the most apparent. That time is now, 
when you see other gardens overloaded with fruit, vege¬ 
tables and flowers, while yours has outlived, thus early, 
its usefulness for the season. Now is the time to note 
success in other gardens and defects in our own. 
We probably have more flowers in our garden and on 
our farm than can be found anywhere in the country, yet 
there is not a garden that affords so many regrets, all of 
which can be attributed to neglect. If we wish to cut a 
bunch of flowers for a friend—and when don’t we ?—we 
have not in all our acres a single plant of rose geranium, 
and there is no plant more generous with its rich green 
and deliciously-perfumed foliage. A single spray of this 
geranium, with but one Lilium lancifolium prcecox 
flower in front, will fill a small vase for the table so beau¬ 
tifully, that nothing from the garden can compare with it 
for grace, elegance and sweetness. Our sorrow for this 
neglect is more keenly felt because we did not have it last 
year, but firmly resolved that we would have a large bed 
of it this season. So much for good resolutions ! 
Mignonette is one of the flowers that we advise every 
one to grow, and not a plant of it is to be seen in our 
garden, which is a sad neglect. But there will be in Sep¬ 
tember, for I have just ordered a bed prepared for it, 
and the seed will be sown before this article is finished. 
Mignonette finds a welcome in every heart, and now that 
there are so many varieties—red, yellow and white—its 
attractions are doubly great. Do not, critical reader, un¬ 
derstand us that there are any positive red, yellow or 
white colors, for there are not, these terms are only rela¬ 
tive. In comparison to the old and well-known sorts, a 
bed or mass of the one will appear decidedly red, the 
others yellow or white. But to compare the red with 
that of a Lilium tenuifolium, the comparison would be 
perfectly ridiculous. Mignonette can be grown without 
the least difficulty; indeed, it will reproduce itself from 
seed shed in the previous year. Nevertheless, it is true 
that in the majority of gardens justice is seldom done to 
it, for the simple reason that its capabilities are but little 
understood. Each plant should have at least a foot of 
room, and it is not an uncommon thing if the seed is sown 
in a deep rich soil to see plants three feet across, with 
spikes of bloom six inches long and more than an inch in 
diameter, and as fragrant as only mignonette can be. 
Mignonette does not well bear transplanting, but other¬ 
wise it is very accommodating. All it requires is a rich, 
moderately heavy soil, in a moist situation. It may be 
grown in a pot as a tree and kept for a number of years 
by removing the seed-pods in their young state, but it is 
more satisfactory to grow young plants annually. Mign¬ 
onette has its enemies, and the young plants are fre¬ 
quently eaten off by a small flea as fast as they appear 
above ground. Soot, tobacco dust and wood ashes are 
the best preventives, and they should be applied upon 
the first appearance of the enemy, or a second sowing 
will be necessary. 
The Lilium candidum , the lily of all lilies in point of 
true beauty and loveliness, we miss from our gardens 
with the deepest feelings of regret. From many friends 
we hear the complaint that this lily will not grow in their 
gardens. They have bought it every spring, and it will 
not live and grow. Quite possible, simply because you 
do buy it at that time. This bulb should not ever be 
caught out of ground in the spring. The only proper 
time to buy and plant this lily is now. It may do to 
plant next month, but, to be sure of success, plant in 
August, and by the last of September it will have made 
a splendid growth and have already laid upon its heart 
the buds that ar& to develop into lovely blossoms the, 
coming June. 
The gladiolus is another cause for regret. Truly did 
we intend getting some of the American Seedlings, the 
flowers of which far surpass in size, form and color the 
old sorts we have admired for years ; but we did not, and 
our neighbors who did, provokingly ask us to come and 
take a look at their gladioli; we do, and resolve to imi¬ 
tate their good example next year. 
Does not the head of the family—not the head of the 
house—often regret duties neglected ? Where are the 
morning-glories that he was asked to plant by the fence, 
that the invalid wife might see in the early morning be¬ 
fore she beheld the rising sun ?—those flowers that have 
no rivals for beauty and cheerfulness. How they would 
have pleased that soul that has nothing beautiful to look 
upon, excepting the hope of death. How little do we 
think what a relief it would be, what a comfort to one 
worn out by long suffering and disease, to see the little 
morning-glory climbing heavenward, loaded with bright¬ 
ness and cheer ; it seems more beautiful the higher it gets, 
and is typical of a pure, noble, spiritual life! We may 
not regret now that we did not comply with that simple 
