July, 1915 
HOUSE AND GARDEN 
35 
and subsequent frequent waterings save many a doubtful ex¬ 
periment. 
One gets no idea from the picture how pretty and effective 
that row of white flowers looked 
against that hideous cement foun¬ 
dation because it was taken when 
they were first put in and does 
not show them at their best in 
full flower. 
Let me warn the beginner . 
againsl some of the Wise Ones, 
who frown upon experiments of 
every sort. For instance, they 
usually advise starting a new 
garden with buying what they 
call “clumps of three” (meaning 
three of a kind—and all very 
well for trees and shrubs), but I 
had great cause to regret listening 
to them when my perennial bed 
was finished; for in this way you 
get but one spot of color at a 
time, as a rule, which looks very 
lonesome in a large bed, 
and I decidedly say buy 
a dozen or two of one 
kind of plant (those that 
flower for more than a 
month preferably) and 
have a display which 
will mean something to 
you and your neighbors. 
Then at least you really 
have them to pick and 
some to leave for show 
as well. The white daisies 
lasted nicely (and I never 
touched them after a 
couple of days’ watering) 
into July, when I cut off 
the wilted ones and, much 
to my surprise, they blos¬ 
somed again, in smaller 
size, when August came. 
In early July I turned 
my eyes once more to our 
next-door field and saw 
there the black - eyed 
Susans just ready to come out. so 
I promptly transferred them in 
large quantities to the same place. 
There their yellow sunshine glori¬ 
fied that spot for nearly two months. 
At this same time I noticed the 
goldenrod, too, and, having an un¬ 
sightly barn foundation as well, I 
transplanted these against it in a 
long row. I must admit that I had 
to call for the help of a man here, 
as these roots are much harder to 
manage than the daisies, and the 
clump of dirt taken with them 
should be larger. I wish to remark 
that they were moved in full flower 
and not one was lost. I watered 
them for a few days and put news¬ 
paper sunbonnets over the blooms to keep off the hot sun, but 
after that they took entire care of themselves. So, you see, that 
any unsightly place can thus be covered at once and with the 
“immediate results” so dear to the 
heart of a beginner. 
The front of our small barn 
was an eyesore and I decided I 
must have something to hide its 
"homely” face, so I called in a 
professional to look at a large 
pine I wanted moved for this 
purpose. His ultimatum was 
fifty or seventy-five dollars and 
no guarantee that it would live at 
that! I bade him a polite good 
morning and went forth investi¬ 
gating on my own account. I 
found a much smaller white pine, 
really being killed by its proximity 
to our splendid oak, so I got the 
Italian, who was doing our grad¬ 
ing work, to stop that work long 
enough to assist in this project. 
It was moved, amid 
much excitement on all 
sides, for just six dollars! 
But with the assurance 
from everybody who 
knew anything (and from 
those who didn’t) that 
“it wouldn’t live — and if 
it did it would last two 
years, as the sap would 
have all been exhausted 
by then.” The picture 
only shows you its con¬ 
dition after one year — 
please wish me good 
luck! I had read that 
evergreens must never be 
allowed to get dry after 
transplanting, and so in 
every spare moment (and 
many that I couldn’t 
spare) I turned the hose 
on that sick-looking tree. 
Meanwhile I had put 
ferns, taken from the 
v\ oods, in a position in which / 
wanted them but which they seemed 
very doubtful about liking as a per¬ 
manent home. 
Let me digress one moment as 
to one of the surprises which 
awaited me in these heretofore un¬ 
known realms. I had always sup¬ 
posed that most vegetation “just 
grew” where it was put, of course 
a little better in some surroundings 
than in others; but when I began 
a course of sprouts in the garden 
books and catalogues and my own 
experiences, I found that no spoiled 
child could have as many finical 
likes and dislikes as some flowers 
(Continued on page 52) 
In order to transplant wild flowers successfully, dig up a ball of earth 
with them and puddle when planting 
These sunflowers, seeded in June, were eight feet high by August, forming a good screen for 
the poultry yard. The seeds were later given to the chickens for food 
The bird bath was made from a wooden chopping-bowl, stained, oiled 
and set on a standard where the birds would be unmolested 
