The Garden Magazine, April, 1924 
145 
and what is more, owners of vacant lots are apt to come any time and de¬ 
stroy whatsoever may be planted in adapting the land to their use. 
Up Donaldsville (Ohio) way, however, one gardener has solved the 
problem in very simple wise by investing lavishly in Petunia seed. 
These seeds are put out in the strip of earth cleared for them just inside 
the sidewalk and, again, over the spare land adjoining the garden. In 
tvpe the flowers vary from the novel yellow-flowering Petunia with 
finely-fringed blooms to those of the commoner sorts—Snowstorms, 
Rosy Morn, and soft carmine-pink Petunias; rich crimson varieties with 
distinct white stars at center; rose-colored—all are here! 
Once the seed are planted nature serves as chief gardener. Petunias, 
while blooming from early summer continuously till frost falls, are among 
the most easily cultivated of all the showy and free growing annuals 
known, and they have the happy habit of escaping set confines. The result 
is a riot of dainty, charming, effective color-play all the months during 
their blooming which fills every room inside the dwelling with a sweet scent 
that travels, too, far up and down the road.— Felix J. Koch, Ohio. 
A Little Garden of the Thousand Isles 
To the Editors of The Garden Magazine: 
N YOUR February issue there was a scene on Rush River that has 
prompted me to send you photographs taken from our bungalow on the 
St. Lawrence River very close to Gananoque. Looking down through the 
channel, scenes of this description are not uncommon and,on occasion, two 
or three of the boats may come within the range of vision. The Sumacs 
are plentiful and resemble Palms or huge Ferns in the photographs that 
we are privileged to take during the summer months. 
In another picture (which was taken a short distance to the right) 
you will notice that we cover the rocks with Petunias, California 
Poppies, Sweet Williams, Coreopsis, Asters, Sweet Alyssum, and 
Portulacas, and sometimes with Cosmos and wild flowers. The 
photograph gives but a small portion of the floral display, which 
is greatly admired from the river side. Gananoque is at the heart 
of the far-famed Thousand Islands and scenes of this character 
are quite plentiful.— Clifford Sine, Gananoque, Canada. 
Beneficent Vigilantes of 
My Garden 
To the Editors of The 
Garden Magazine: 
A LL flower-lovers know 
what great service 
birds and toads do their 
gardens by destroying plant 
foes of many kinds. They 
offer the birds every induce¬ 
ment to nest about their 
homes, but seldom make 
A MOST HOSPITABLE 
ROCKERY 
Where not only plants but 
those friendly co-workers 
of the gardener, birds and 
toads, make themselves at 
home (see accompanying 
text). Garden of Mrs. 
Lucien B. Taylor at Taun¬ 
ton, Mass. 
GARDENING NEAR 
GANANOQUE 
Petunias, California Poppies, 
Portulaca, Coreopsis, Sweet Alys¬ 
sum, and other familiars rise 
from the grey of rocks, throwing 
bright patches of color against 
the river blue like embroideries 
on some quaint, gay quilt; and, 
near by, Oaks and Sumacs make 
a frame for river scenes (left). 
Garden of Mr. Clifford Sine at 
the heart of the Thousand Isles 
(see text above) 
any effort to provide con¬ 
genial quarters for that 
most vigilant of night- 
watchmen, the common 
toad. The large family of 
them that came unexpect¬ 
edly to my garden have by- 
faithful labor rid the plants 
of almost every insect pest, 
and have won especial favor 
by making way with large colonies of ants that, together with the ac¬ 
companying aphides, have been very bothersome. The toads have 
thus proved themselves to be true friends of the gardener and de¬ 
serving of more attention than they usually receive. 
A home for these worthy batrachians was unwittingly provided as 
a result of my desire for a rockery and a bird-bath in a garden that 
seemed too small for such additions. By combining the two, however, 
the problem was finally solved. Large stones were heaped in a mound 
at one end of the Iris bed, the pile being broad enough at the top to 
allow for sinking in a shallow cement bowl for the bird-bath. When the 
crevices between the rocks were filled with soil, there was found to be 
room for many rock plants. Dwarf Alpine Asters, white and crimson 
Thyme, three shades of Moss Pink, Soapwort (Saponaria ocymoides 
splendens), Kenilworth Ivy or Mother-of-thousands as 1 like to hear 
it called, Houseleeks, Babysbreath (Gvpsophila repens), Speedwell 
(Veronica rupestris),Cupflower (Nierembergia rivularis), Wild Colum¬ 
bine, Early Saxifrage, and the common Polypody Fern thrive on the 
