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,a,a,a,y,a,a,j   ,transcriber's note3   
,text enclosed by underscores is in     
italics 7italics74        ,small        
capitals have been converted to all     
capitals4      ,handbooks of ,practical 
,gardening--,iv  ,edited by ,harry      
,roberts   ,,the ,,book ,,of            
,,old-,,fashioned ,,flowers             
,illustration3 ,,an ,,old-,,fashioned   
,,garden   ,,the ,,book ,,of            
,,old-,,fashioned ,,flowers  ,and ,other
 ,plants ,which ,thrive in the          
,open-,air of ,england  by  ,,harry     

,,roberts  ,author of ,the ,chronicle of
 a ,cornish ,garden  ,with ,numerous    
,illustrations ,reproduced from         
,drawings by ,ethel ,roskruge           
,john ,lane3 ,the ,bodley ,head ,london 
and ,new ,york4 ,,mcmi  ,turnbull       
,spears1 ,printers1 ,edinburgh4     ,,to
 ,,homely ,,unaffected ,,people ,,who   
,,appreciate ,,homely ,,unassuming      
,,flowers   ,the precious metals are not
 often found at the surface of the      
earth4--,,sir ,,arthur ,,helps   ,i     
speak with the lowliest of the meadow   
flowers as readily as with the highest  
fir-trees4--,,heine     ,,contents      
,,page    ,,thanks                      
xiii    ,,scope ,,and ,,limitations     
#a    ,,old-,,fashioned ,,flowers       
#d    ,a ,,garden ,,by ,,the ,,sea      
#ab    ,,cottage ,,gardens              
#bd    ,,the ,,garden ,,in ,,winter     
#bh    ,,the ,,garden ,,in ,,spring     
#cg    ,,the ,,garden ,,in ,,june       
#dh    ,,how ,,to ,,grow ,,roses        
#eb    ,,the ,,garden ,,in ,,july       

#eg    ,,night ,,in ,,the ,,garden      
#fb    ,,the ,,garden ,,in ,,august     
#fi    ,,the ,,garden ,,in ,,autumn     
#gc    ,,shelter ,,and ,,shade          
#ha    ,,soils ,,and ,,their            
,,preparation    #hf    ,,manures       
#id    ,,seed-,,sowing ,,and            
,,transplanting  #if    ,,layers ,,and  
,,cuttings           #aja    ,,weeds    
#ajc    ,,insect ,,and ,,other ,,pests  
#ajg    ,,points                        
#aaa     ,,illustrations     ,,an       
,,old-,,fashioned ,,garden              
,frontispiece                           
,,page    ,,poppy ,,anemones            
#ac    ,,fritillaries                   
#bi    ,,columbines                     
#da    ,,honesty                        
#ec    ,,macartney ,,roses              
#fe    ,,white ,,wood ,,lilies          
#ge    ,,foxgloves                      
#hi    ,,shirley ,,poppies              
#ii     ,,thanks   ,to that             
distinguished and generous gardener1    
,canon ,ellacombe1 ,i wish to express my

 appreciation of his kindness in giving 
me the freedom of his collection of old 
garden books1 though few are so good1   
interesting1 or useful as his own ,plant
 ,lore of ,shakspere and ,a             
,gloucestershire ,garden4  ,to ,mr      
,folkard ,i am obliged for the loan of  
his interesting book on ,plant ,lore and
 ,legend4  ,to the ,editors of the      
,morning ,leader1 ,gardeners' ,chronicle
 and ,gardeners' ,magazine ,i am obliged
 for the right to republish such parts  
of the following book as have appeared  
in their several papers as essays from  
my pen4  ,to ,messrs ,kelway1 of        
,langport1 ,i am indebted for many      
presents of beautiful ,delphiniums1     
,ponies and ,pyrethrums1 which they grow
 as few others can4     ,,scope ,,and   
,,limitations   ,many years ago an      
ingenious writer compiled a book dealing
 with a subject with which he had no    
practical acquaintance4 ,the whole of   
his alleged observations were           
second-hand1 being derived from previous

 writings on the subject4 ,in order1    
however1 to hoodwink the public1 this   
author laid great stress on the         
uselessness of mere book knowledge1     
saying that an ounce of experience was  
worth a stone of theory4  ,like many    
other foolish sayings1 this one has been
 regarded as an inspired utterance1 and 
has been copied by nine-tenths of all   
subsequent writers of handbooks4 ,as a  
matter of fact1 whilst a certain amount 
of practical experience is absolutely   
essential to the proper understanding of
 nearly all subjects1 an intelligent    
reader can learn more in an hour from a 
sensible book than from many weeks of   
intercourse with merely practical       
people1 and many weeks of so-called     
experience4  ,this little book1 forming 
one of a series of handbooks with an aim
 purely practical1 has itself an        
entirely practical object4 ,this object 
is to teach those who are comparatively 
new to gardening the general principles 
which they must observe if they wish to 

grow successfully those flowering plants
 which are able to live their whole     
lives in the open air of this country4  
,by old-fashioned flowering plants are  
meant those which we may class with the 
herbaceous1 bulbous and other hardy     
plants which one always expects to find 
in the old cottage gardens1 old vicarage
 gardens and old farmhouse gardens of   
romance1 and occasionally in those of   
reality4 ,one is continually discovering
 fresh old-fashioned people1 and in like
 manner we are continually having       
additions made to our list of           
old-fashioned flowers4 ,many newly      
discovered or newly introduced plants1  
therefore1 are treated of in this book1 
which is not intended merely as a ,book 
of ,old ,flowers4 ,still1 as a matter of
 fact1 most of the flowers named in     
these pages are old favourites1 and have
 long been grown and sentimentalised    
over by ,english gardeners and poets4   
,no attempt has been made to render this
 a complete handbook of hardy flowers4  

,in the first place1 the pages at       
disposal would barely serve even to     
enumerate them1 and1 in the second      
place1 the compilation of a reference   
encyclopdia of hardy flowers has been   
done1 and done admirably1 by our        
greatest gardening writer1 ,mr ,william 
,robinson1 whose book1 ,the ,english    
,flower ,garden1 is in many ways the    
most important work on gardening which  
has appeared since the time of          
,parkinson4  ,the flowers here named are
 but a few of those which are worth     
growing1 for to the present writer      
nearly every plant1 when allowed to     
develop freely and naturally1 is full of
 interest and full of beauty4 ,everyone 
should decide for himself what he will  
grow in the particular environment he   
may have to offer1 for1 once the art of 
properly growing the flowers here named 
has been mastered1 little difficulty    
need be anticipated in growing such     
other hardy plants as may be thought    
desirable additions to the list4  ,in   

the matter of garden arrangement1 ,i    
have neither given dogmatic advice nor  
stated fixed rules which must be        
followed2 for it is as undesirable that 
gardens should be stereotyped copies of 
one another1 as it would be in the case 
of their owners4 ,i have1 instead of    
dogmatising on the rights and wrongs of 
garden design1 described one or two     
gardens which have yielded me delight1  
though ,i fear that ,i have not been    
able to conceal my own point of view4   
,what that point of view is ,i have     
stated in my ,chronicle of a ,cornish   
,garden1 but ,i am sufficiently         
broad-minded to recognise that other    
styles of gardening appeal to other     
gardeners who are quite as competent to 
form opinions as myself4  ,a garden     
should1 as ,i believe1 be an emanation  
from the spirit of its owner1 and1 just 
as some men are formal and some         
informal1 some prim and some ,bohemian1 
some careful and some rash1 so should   
their several gardens vary in style and 

feeling4  ,i have laid down no laws as  
to the arrangement of flowers with a    
view to producing colour schemes1 for ,i
 have never seen colour schemes which   
surpass those chance effects of the     
hedgerow and the meadow1 or of those    
pleasant gardens where the gardeners'   
sole aim is to grow plants from the     
plants' point of view1 that is to say1  
with the sole aim of growing them       
healthily and well4 ,of course1         
occasionally1 a bad colour shows itself1
 but the remedy is simple and obvious4  
,occasionally1 also1 a colour discord   
will be perceived in bed or border1 but 
a spade will cure the trouble in five   
minutes4 ,indeed1 there is some small   
risk at the present moment that the     
individuality of beautiful plants and   
flowers may be too frequently sacrificed
 to the production of effects4 ,this was
 the deadly fault of the bedding system1
 and should be guarded against4 ,the    
bedding system has made such beautiful  
flowers as geraniums1 calceolarias and  

lobelias stink in the nostrils of some  
of us2 just as the disgusting invention 
of ,dr4 ,gregory has been successful in 
making raspberry jam a source of nausea 
to tens of thousands of ,english boys   
and girls4  ,let us as gardeners beware 
of being too clever and artistic2       
,nature may be a hard mistress1 but she 
is not a fool4     ,,old-,,fashioned    
,,flowers   ,strictly1 of course1 the   
term is indefinite1 for old-fashioned   
flowers and old-fashioned gardens mean  
to different people different things4   
,probably to most people--at all events 
to the present writer--old-fashioned    
gardening means that system which is in 
direct opposition to prim geometric beds
 and to the imitation of carpet patterns
 by arrangement of flowers4 ,by an      
old-fashioned garden1 the present writer
 means an informal garden of all sorts  
of pleasant flowers which our ,english  
ayre will permit to be noursed up1 as   
,parkinson put it2 and by old-fashioned 
flowers he means sweet williams and     

gilly flowers1 mignonette1 sweet peas1  
roses and honeysuckle1 daffodils1       
fritillaries1 jacinthes1                
saffron-flowers1 lilies1 flower-deluces1
 tulipas1 anemones1 ,french cowslips or 
bearseares1 and such other flowers1 very
 beautifull1 delightfull and pleasant4  
,after the severe1 monotonous1 formal   
arrangements which still too often      
constitute the gardens around our finest
 houses1 how interesting and restful it 
is to stroll round a delightful garden  
such as ,canon ,ellacombe's ,vicarage   
,garden at ,bitton1 where the shape of  
the beds or borders is not prearranged1 
where all the soil is occupied1 where   
every plant looks healthy and at home1  
where every yard brings one a surprise  
and a fresh interest1 where the old     
walls have growing from their crevices  
such plants as the ,cheddar ,pink1      
,sedums and ,sempervivums2 where1 too1  
every plant in its glory hides the decay
 of its predecessor in bloom and        
shelters the birth of its successor4    

,there is a class--and a very large     
class--of folks who are so constituted  
that continual prize or applause hunting
 are essentials to happiness4 ,for such1
 the topiary-victimised trees1 the      
glaring carpet beds1 and the flower show
 are useful and comparatively harmless  
instruments for the indulgence of their 
little weaknesses4 ,but it goes sorely  
against the grain to give to such the   
honourable and historic title of        
gardener1 just as one hesitates to      
describe as a gardener the issuer of    
that curious catalogue of greens which  
,pope satirically described in ,no4 #agc
 of ,the ,guardian3--  ,adam and ,eve in
 yew2 ,adam a little shattered by the   
fall of the tree of knowledge in the    
great storm2 ,eve and the serpent very  
flourishing4 ,noah's ,ark in holly1 the 
ribs a little damaged for want of water4
  ,the tower of ,babel not yet finished4
  ,st ,george in ,box2 his arm scarce   
strong enough1 but will be in a         
condition to stick the dragon by next   

,april4  ,a green dragon of the same2   
with a tail of ground-ivy for the       
present4  ,n4,b4--,those two are not to 
be sold separately4  ,edward the ,black 
,prince in ,cyprus4444  ,a ,queen       
,elizabeth in ,phyllirea1 a little      
inclining to the green sickness1 but of 
full growth4  ,an old maid of honour in 
wormwood4  ,a topping ,ben ,jonson in   
,laurel4  ,divers eminent modern poets  
in bays4  ,as a matter of fact1 what we 
understand as old-fashioned gardening   
has never been a fashion at all4 ,when  
,addison wrote in ,the ,spectator that  
he would rather look upon a tree in all 
its luxuriancy and diffusion of boughs  
and branches1 than when it is cut and   
trimmed into a mathematical figure1 and 
that he fancied that an orchard in      
flower looks infinitely more delightful 
than all the little labyrinths of the   
most finished parterre1 he was          
declaiming against--not with--the       
fashion of his day4 ,in truth there is  
no escape from the fact that in old     

times1 as they are at present1 real     
lovers of plants and of flowers for     
their own sakes were few indeed4 ,in the
 time of ,elizabeth and thenabouts1     
however1 the gardening spirit seems to  
have been purer and more wholesome than 
during the succeeding centuries4 ,john  
,lyly1 for instance1 was1 in sentiment  
at least1 a genuine old-fashioned       
gardener3--,heere be faire ,roses1      
sweete ,violets1 fragrant ,primroses1   
heere wil be ,jilly-floures1            
,carnations1 sops in wine1 sweet ,johns1
 and what may either please you for     
sight1 or delight you with savour4 ,at  
that time also was written what is      
perhaps the greatest or at any rate one 
of the most important pronouncements on 
gardening ever written--the essay ,of   
,gardens1 by ,lord ,bacon4 ,here1       
indeed1 is the real touch1 the genuine  
gardening spirit3 ,i do hold it in the  
,royal ,ordering of ,gardens1 there     
ought to be ,gardens for all the ,months
 in the year1 in which1 severally1      

things of ,beauty may be then in season2
 and again1 because the ,breath of      
,flowers is far ,sweeter in the ,air    
7where it comes and goes1 like the      
warbling of ,musick71 than in the ,hand1
 therefore nothing is more fit for that 
,delight1 than to know what be the      
,flowers and ,plants that do best       
perfume the ,air4 ,roses1 ,damask and   
,red1 are fast ,flowers of their        
,smells1 so that you may walk by a whole
 ,row of them and find nothing of their 
sweetness2 yea1 though it be in a       
morning ,dew4 ,bays likewise yield no   
smell as they grow1 ,rosemary little1   
nor ,sweet-,marjoram4 ,that1 which above
 all others1 yields the sweetest smell  
in the air1 is the violet1 especially   
the white double ,violet1 which comes   
twice a year1 about the middle of       
,april1 and about ,bartholomew-tide4    
,next to that is the ,musk ,rose1 then  
the ,strawberry ,leaves dying with a    
most excellent ,cordial ,smell4 ,then   
the ,flower of the ,vines2 it is a      

little ,dust1 like the ,dust of a ,bent1
 which grows upon the cluster at the    
first coming forth4 ,then ,sweet-,briar1
 then ,wall-,flowers1 which are very    
delightful to be set under a ,parlour1  
or lower ,chamber ,window4 ,then ,pinks1
 especially the ,matted ,pink1 and      
,clove ,gilly-,flower4 ,then the        
,flowers of the ,lime-,tree4 ,then the  
,honey-,suckles1 so they be somewhat    
afar off4444 ,but those which perfume   
the ,air most delightfully1 not passed  
by as the rest1 but being ,trodden upon 
and ,crushed1 are three3 that is        
,burnet1 ,wild-,time1 and ,water-,mints4
 ,therefore you are to set whole ,alleys
 of them1 to have the ,pleasure when you
 walk or tread4 ,the essence of         
old-fashioned gardening is here         
expressed4  ,our modern florists are    
wont to sneer at the lack of variety    
possessed by the old gardeners1 but they
 must be curiously unfamiliar with the  
writings of such men as ,gerard1        
,gilbert and ,parkinson4 ,to give but   

one or two examples1 the last named     
writer1 in his ,paradisi in ,sole       
,paradisus ,terrestris1 gives a         
descriptive list of twelve distinct     
varieties of ,fritillaries1 eight       
varieties of ,grape-,hyacinths1 and no  
less than twenty-one varieties of       
,primroses and ,cowslips1 whilst of     
,lilies and of ,roses the kinds         
described are even more numerous4  ,the 
greatest joy which a garden can yield is
 a feeling of restfulness and peace1 a  
feeling which no garden of staring beds 
and ostentatious splendour can afford1  
but which is yielded--as by nothing else
 in the world--by a garden of happy1    
homely1 old-fashioned flowers4  ,to most
 people1 and more particularly to most  
women1 one of the chief uses or         
functions of a garden is to provide     
flowers to be cut for the decoration of 
rooms4 ,but ,i hold that a flower cut   
from its plant and placed in a vase is  
as a scalp on the walls of a wigwam--a  
trophy showing how one more beautiful   

plant has been defeated and victimised  
by its powerful and tasteless owner4    
,the cut flower is no longer part of a  
manifestation of the will of nature2    
rather it is a slave--beautiful1 it may 
be1 but branded and soul-destroyed4     
,regarded as decoration1 ,i consider cut
 flowers in a house much as fashion now 
looks on shell ornaments1 or            
picture-frames made of acorns1 as things
 inappropriate and childish4 ,of course1
 in a town there is some excuse for     
them1 for even cut flowers carry the    
mind to beautiful associated conditions2
 but cut flowers in the country seem    
ludicrously like lumber1 just as        
bedsteads and toilet-services and       
cruet-stands placed in a garden would be
 lumber too4  ,the love of cut flowers  
is really but another manifestation of  
the spirit which hankers after yews     
carved into dragons1 pagodas1 marmosets1
 and the other tree-monsters scoffed at 
by ,rousseau1 who added that he was     
convinced that the time is at hand1 when

 we shall no longer have in gardens     
anything that is found in the country2  
we shall tolerate neither plants nor    
shrubs2 we shall only like porcelain    
flowers1 baboons1 arbour-work1 sand of  
all colours1 and fine vases full of     
nothing4  ,indeed1 there is in many     
quarters even now a growing desire for  
the kind of new garden1 which old       
,william ,lawson advocated3 ,your       
,gardiner can frame your lesser wood to 
the shape of men armed in the field1    
ready to give battell3 or swift running 
,greyhounds3 or of well sented and true 
running ,hounds1 to chase the ,deere1 or
 hunt the ,hare4 ,this kinde of hunting 
shall not waste your corne1 nor much    
your coyne4 ,mazes well framed a man's  
height1 may perhaps make your friend    
wander in gathering of berries1 till he 
cannot recover himselfe without your    
helpe4  ,of course1 the cutting of      
flowers is a long way from this2 still  
it is difficult to see where a line can 
be drawn once the worship of gardeners' 

gardens has begun4  ,through the open   
windows of house or cottage the eyes    
should be able to feast on the beauty of
 freely growing flowers quite as easily 
as if they were cut and stuck in glass  
or porcelain vase like so many heads of 
traitors on the city gates4  ,it has    
been said that all children are born    
scientists1 but that only a small number
 of them ever pass on to the condition  
of artists2 and it has always seemed to 
me that there is much truth in the      
statement4 ,children are ever putting   
the eternal why8 to the great confusion 
of their parents1 pastors1 and masters2 
and it is the curious1 the gigantic1 the
 rare1 which always calls forth their   
attention and admiration4 ,struwelpeter 
is more to a child than all the beauties
 of a ,charles ,robinson1 and to few men
 or women is it given to derive as much 
pleasure from beauty as from that which 
is usually called interesting4 ,hence1  
the ordinary criticisms of gardens2     
hence1 also1 the usual aims of          

gardeners4 ,so many people desire the   
gaudy1 or the unique1 or the curious1   
that we are apt to look upon gardens    
merely as appliances for the production 
of quaint or monstrous flowers4  ,the   
analysis of beauty has ever a           
dissecting-room-feel about it2 still1 as
 he who would become a skilful surgeon  
must be first a practical anatomist1 and
 as he who would be a painter must first
 study his materials and the dodges of  
his craft1 so must the would-be artist  
in gardening dissect the beauty of      
perfect gardens1 and study such         
apparently dull materials as earth and  
manure1 and practical garden books4  ,i 
have said that the beauty of an         
old-fashioned garden is due largely to  
the feeling of repose and               
settled-down-ness which it yields4      
,every plant looks as though it belongs 
7as we say in ,cornwall7 to be where it 
is1 as though it always was there1 and  
as though there is no intention of      
shifting it in a week or two to some    

glass-house1 store-room1 or other site4 
,the plants in most gardens look as     
though they have merely come to pay an  
afternoon call1 dressed exactly  la     
mode1 speaking always cumeelfo--like the
 people of ,troy ,town1 and             
elsewhere--giving one the certain       
knowledge that they will only say the   
right thing1 look the right thing1 and  
leave at the right time1 unregretted and
 unmissed4 ,the comfortably-at-home     
effect is produced mainly by three      
causes--firstly1 the presence of        
abundant deciduous trees and shrubs1    
giving infinitely varied effects of     
light and shade2 secondly1 the          
arrangement of the plants in bold groups
 of single species2 and1 thirdly1 the   
provision of each separate plant with   
depth of suitable soil1 and space to    
develop its individual form4 ,there is  
plenty of background1 and not too much  
episode4  ,country people often think   
that the way to enjoy ,london is to     
spend day and night in one continuous   

round of sight seeing4 ,in like manner1 
people often have an idea that the      
perfect garden is a continuous sheet of 
wonderful flowers4 ,how great is the    
fallacy contained in this idea it should
 be needless to point out4 ,leaf and    
stem1 light and shade and fragrance1    
these are quite as essential parts of a 
garden as are the blooms of the         
gardening showman4  ,an eye for beauty  
is largely a product of training and    
experience4 ,a soul and a brain there   
must be as a basis1 but taste is to a   
large extent cultivated4 ,one must have 
read much before one is able to         
appreciate the style of a ,ruskin or a  
,pater1 a ,maeterlinck or a ,le         
,gallienne2 one must have studied many  
pictures before being able to realise   
the beauty of the works of the great    
artists2 and in like manner one must    
needs have loved and watched plants long
 and steadfastly before the beauty of   
winter twig and summer leaf comes home  
to him4  ,many a man with a garden looks

 upon winter as a season to be got      
through as soon as possible1 as a season
 when nothing short of necessity shall  
drag him into the garden4 ,i am sure    
that even in the very heart of          
,december1 one should find in the garden
 more of real beauty than ninety-nine   
gardens out of a hundred contain in     
,june4 ,i recall in particular one      
little heather path bordered by large   
bushes of blue-grey ,lavender and       
green-grey ,rosemary1 in the bays being 
great ,mullein plants and clumps of     
,pink and ,alyssum4 ,ferns1             
,periwinkles1 ,holly1 ,satinleaf1       
,hellebores1 ,winter ,aconites and      
,barberries are but a few of the plants 
which help to make this walk bright and 
pleasant even in the depths of winter2  
but most important of all in the        
,christmas display are the ,furzes1     
single and double1 than which1 according
 to ,mr ,alfred ,russell ,wallace1 the  
tropics can produce nothing more        
brilliant or more beautiful4            

,continuous beauty all the year through1
 rather than a continuous display of    
flowers1 is a goal at which gardeners   
might wisely aim1 for not only is the   
result far more restful and suggestive  
of reserved force and becoming modesty1 
but also the individual plants are far  
more likely to have a fair chance of    
development at the hands of one who     
appreciates beautiful leaves and healthy
 growth1 than when cultivated by one who
 looks at plants merely as flower-making
 machines4     ,a ,,garden ,,by ,,the   
,,sea   ,it is fortunate that we are not
 all provided with equally favourable   
sites and soils4 ,how monotonous would  
gardening become if one knew that he had
 but to act1 deed for deed1 as his      
neighbour in order to attain exactly the
 same garden result4 ,we should feel    
disposed to throw down our spades and   
trowels if the end of our efforts might 
be foreseen by looking over our         
neighbour's boundary4 ,if the           
difficulties to be overcome could be    

formally catalogued1 the whole art of   
gardening would be reduced to a wooden  
system in which there would be little   
room for surprise or pleasure4 ,but     
,fate has decreed that our gardens shall
 differ in spite of the apish copying   
spirit which still fills so many of our 
breasts4 ,our sites vary1 our soils     
vary1 and our atmospheric conditions    
vary to such an extent that any         
gardener1 if he is to produce a result  
of any worth1 must perforce use his     
native intelligence in order to overcome
 the specific difficulties peculiar to  
his plot of earth4  ,illustration3      
,,poppy ,,anemones  ,gardening readers  
will remember ,dean ,hole's story of the
 enthusiastic flower-loving navvy who1  
obtaining the post of gatekeeper on the 
railway1 was provided with nothing but a
 barren gravel pit as apology for a     
garden4 ,twelve months afterwards1 says 
the ,dean1 ,i came near the place       
again--was it a mirage which ,i saw on  
the sandy desert8 ,there were           

vegetables1 fruit-bushes and            
fruit-trees1 all in vigorous health2    
there were flowers1 and the flower-queen
 in her beauty1 ',why1 ,will1' ,i       
exclaimed1 'what have you done to the   
gravel-bed8' ',lor' bless yer1' he      
replied1 grinning1 ',i hadn't been here 
a fortnight afore ,i swopped it for a   
pond6' ,he had1 as a further explanation
 informed me1 and after an agreement    
with a neighbouring farmer1 removed with
 pick and barrow his sandy stratum to   
the depth of three feet1 wheeled it to  
the banks of an old pond1 or rather to  
the margin of a cavity where a pond once
 was1 but which had been gradually      
filled up with leaves and silt2 and this
 rich productive mould he had brought   
home a distance of two hundred yards1   
replacing it with the gravel1 and       
levelling as per contract4  ,that man's 
garden was a real living creation3 it   
was indeed a great work4 ,and it is in  
everything true that great natural      
possessions1 though they may render life

 more comfortable and possibly more     
apparently successful1 yet make the     
battle the tamer and less interesting4  
,indeed the greater the odds to be      
overcome1 the more magnificent will     
every victory appear1 and the gardener  
who creates a flowery ,eden out of a    
piece of bare and starving desert has   
scored a greater success than his who   
but grows beautiful flowers and         
delicious fruits where soil and site and
 surroundings have been entirely on his 
side4  ,i am writing in a garden which  
is as remarkable an example of          
difficulties overcome as was the garden 
of ,dean ,hole's navvy4 ,those who are  
familiar with the sand-dunes or towans  
which form so pronounced a feature of   
much of the northern coast-line of      
,cornwall1 will realize that these      
scarcely afford ideal spots for easily  
made gardens4 ,a thin coating of poor   
grass1 reeds1 wild thyme and occasional 
sea-hollies form the only drapery for   
the blown sand which makes up the whole 

body of soil4  ,yet it was on such a    
spot that a friend of mine pitched his  
camp1 or rather built his cottage1 and  
set to work to create a garden4 ,his aim
 in life being to kill care1 he desired 
nothing more eagerly than to be         
constantly occupied4 ,for three years he
 spent fully one half of his days in    
bringing into his territory leafmould   
and soil1 clay and manure4 ,he soon had 
a good protective screen of pines1      
euonymus1 privet and hazel1 and only    
then did he seriously begin to plant his
 garden4 ,he had1 during those three    
years1 raised crops of clover1 trifolium
 and the like1 digging them again into  
the newly created soil from whence they 
came4  ,he read all the gardening books 
on which he could lay hands1 he saw all 
the gardens within walking distance1 and
 he studied the wants of every flower   
before he sowed or planted it1 just as  
though it were an honoured guest whom he
 were inviting4 ,he had no              
rule-and-compass scheme before his eyes1

 and planted his shrubs and flowers in  
those situations where they might most  
healthily yield their beauty and their  
fragrance4 ,such paths as his garden has
 are merely gravelled developments of   
the beaten tracks which usage indicated 
as necessary or convenient2 and ,i am   
afraid that they would meet with the    
disapproval of that great authority1 ,mr
 ,reginald ,bloomfield1 who has said    
that a garden should be laid out in an  
equal number of rectangular plots where 
everything is straightforward and       
logical4  ,my friend is nearly twenty   
years older than when he began to create
 his garden1 and it has already acquired
 much of the character of an old house  
to which successive additions have been 
made4 ,the year through1 the earth is   
draped and decorated with beautiful     
plants1 ,aconites1 ,snowdrops1          
,crocuses1 ,primroses1 ,violets1        
,fritillaries1 ,columbines1 ,pinks1     
,roses1 ,lilies1 ,sunflowers and all the
 host of old-fashioned flowers4  ,the   

great problems of architectural         
gardening1 landscape gardening1 and the 
rest1 did not interest him4 ,so simple  
and unpretentious was his little house  
that an attempt at terraces1 clipped    
evergreens1 and the like1 would have    
struck a jarring note at once4          
,therefore1 it is quite in keeping that 
beautiful flowers and beautiful shrubs  
border one's way right up to the        
entrance door2 nor does ,nature end     
there1 for over all the outer walls are 
trained lovely and fragrant             
climbers--,clematis1 ,rose1 and         
,honeysuckle--which give the idea that  
the cottage does indeed nestle in the   
garden4  ,through the open windows also1
 at almost any time of the year1 pours  
the delicious scent of leaf and         
flower--of ,winter ,sweet1 ,violets1 or 
,sweet ,peas2 of ,stocks1 or            
,mignonette2 of ,wallflowers1 or ,roses4
 ,just to name a few of the plants whose
 scent fill the rooms1 what glories are 
thereby called up3--,honeysuckle and    

,jasmine1 ,lily of the ,valley1 ,lilac  
and ,narcissus1 ,carnation1 ,syringa and
 ,heliotrope1 ,thyme1 ,bergamot1 and    
,aloysia6 ,these1 and a hundred other   
fragrances mingled together in          
infinitely varying combinations1 give   
sensuous joys which even the most jaded 
can but appreciate4 ,for there is       
probably no pleasure so democratic as   
that which is yielded by the fragrance  
of flowers and leaves4 ,the colour and  
form of plants require a little         
attention for their appreciation1 but   
their odour overwhelms our senses       
whether we attend or no4 ,the variety of
 perfumes yielded by plants is almost as
 great as their forms1 for blossom of   
,apple and of ,jonquil1 leaf of         
,strawberry1 ,currant and ,sweet ,gale  
gives each an sthetic pleasure peculiar 
to itself4  ,in ,elizabethan times1 a   
royal visit seems to have been preceded 
by a process of sweeting the house1     
which consisted in filling the rooms    
with scent of crushed leaves and        

flowers1 scattering also extracts and   
essences of fragrant plants4 ,this      
sweeting of the rooms is a continuous   
process through the open windows of the 
cottage1 and no queenly visit would     
induce any augmentation of it4  ,through
 the trees1 which now have grown to     
moderate size1 may always be seen the   
most beautiful setting which a beautiful
 garden can have--the ever restless sea4
 ,the contrast is good and effective1   
and is calculated to prevent any undue  
development of horticultural vanity4  ,i
 thought of ,ruskin's statement that the
 path of a good woman is indeed strewn  
with flowers1 but they rise behind her  
steps1 not before them1 when one day ,i 
sat on a quaint old seat under a pear   
tree in this little flowerful garden2   
for it is literally behind his steps1   
not before them1 that all the beauty of 
my friend's garden has sprung up4 ,each 
beautiful leaf and stem and flower are  
products of his labour and care almost  
as much as of sun and rain4 ,yet to a   

stranger the garden shows no sign of    
human fingers1 human muscles1 or human  
interference4  ,to many1 possibly to    
most1 there is attractiveness in a      
garden of well-kept1 straight-bordered  
paths1 of tidy beds symmetrical beyond  
reproach1 of plants arranged like       
soldiers under review2 but to me such   
gardens--however pleasant to look       
at--seem unsuited to repose and         
impossible to sit and dream in4  ,this  
garden is very different4 ,it has no    
trees cut to the shape of peacocks or   
wind-mills1 no hideous collection of    
stakes and raffia1 which goes by the    
name of the carnation bed 7after the    
manner of ,thackeray's library where the
 boots are kept74 ,it is merely a bit of
 enclosed and humanised natural beauty1 
a place where one may quietly enjoy     
delightful flowers and delightful       
fragrance without the jarring condition 
of viewing behind the scenes all the    
time that the performance is being      
enacted4 ,every flower in the garden was

 originally planted by my friend1 and   
has been regularly watched over and     
tended by him ever since1 yet not one   
but looks as though it had been planted 
at the creation of the world and had    
been subject only to the forces of      
,nature all its life4 ,there is a       
suggestion of woodland1 a suggestion of 
hedgerow1 a suggestion of hillside1 yet1
 of course1 the garden differs from them
 all4 ,it is the absence of bare        
earth--for scarcely one inch of soil    
lies undraped by plants--which partly   
gives the garden that feeling of        
settled-down-ness4 ,a half-dressed      
person1 a half-papered wall1 a          
half-filled bookcase1 a half-finished   
house--all these things hinder the      
feeling of repose4 ,so it is that nearly
 all gardens1 looking1 as they do1 to be
 in a state of preparation and          
incompleteness1 make restfulness out of 
the question4 ,but in this garden repose
 seems the natural emotion1 and to sit  
there beneath a tree and read or chat is

 always the appropriate thing4  ,it is  
not1 however1 that the earth is all     
draped which alone causes the feeling of
 rest4 ,this is due very largely to the 
fact that the garden is not a           
show-garden1 was not created for show1  
but for the satisfaction of its creator4
  ,the comfortable feel of the garden is
 largely assisted also by the nature of 
the flowers and plants which he has     
elected to cultivate3 ,gilly-flowers1   
,pinks and ,purple ,columbines1 ,sweet  
,carnations1 ,daffodils and lovd        
,lilies4 ,to quote ,korumushi1 a poet of
 the race which has the spirit of       
flower-worship in its heart--      ,no  
man so callous1 but he heaves a sigh    
,when o'er his head the withered        
,cherry-flowers     ,come fluttering    
down4  ,and no man is so devoid of      
feeling as to be unmoved by the sight of
 the flowers associated with the ideals 
of the race--the flowers which ,chaucer 
loved1 and ,shakspere4  ,i have seen a  
beautiful garden1 containing none but   

flowers mentioned by ,shakspere4 ,this1 
however1 was after all but a piece of   
pretty pedantry1 and necessitated the   
absence of ,foxgloves1 ,forget-me-,nots1
 ,snowdrops1 and other beautiful        
flowers4 ,it is indeed strange that he1 
the greatest poet of gardens as of other
 things1 never mentions these flowers1  
although they must have been well known 
to him4 ,speaking of the ,snowdrop1     
,gerard1 who was a contemporary of      
,shakspere1 said3 ,these plants doe grow
 wilde in ,italy1 and the parts         
adjacent1 notwithstanding our ,london   
gardens have taken possession of most of
 them many years past4 ,this rather     
indicates that the ,snowdrop then held a
 very different place in the gardener's 
heart1 from the place which it since has
 won2 and doubtless the same holds good 
of the other flowers which ,shakspere   
left unmentioned4 ,if ,shakspere were   
writing now1 using the names of flowers 
as he used them--not to show his own    
knowledge1 but because the particular   

flowers supplied the appropriate simile 
or key to sentiment--he could scarcely  
fail to mention the ,foxgloves or       
,lady's ,fingers1 the sweet             
,forget-,me-,nots1 and1 more beautiful  
still1 the chaste1 unflinching          
,snowdrops4 ,a flower takes             
time--generations even1 it may          
be--really to eat its way into the heart
 of man2 for it is not enough that it be
 merely beautiful or merely             
fragrant--attractive to our senses      
though these properties are--in order   
that we may really become incorporate   
with a flower4 ,but it must1 in         
addition1 be full of association1 and   
have been long watched and lovingly     
studied4 ,there is one book1 difficult  
now to obtain1 containing a record of   
the truest appreciation and most careful
 study of flowers1 and of the beauty of 
flowers1 which we have in the language4 
,that book is called ,flowers and       
,gardens1 by ,dr ,forbes ,watson1 and   
the following passage from its pages    

beautifully explains the sentiment of   
the gardener who grows mainly           
old-fashioned flowers1 or1 at any rate1 
flowers with which he has been long     
familiar--  ,we make the acquaintance of
 any individual existence under an      
immense number of different aspects1 and
 it is the sum of all these aspects     
which constitutes that existence to us4 
,a ,snowdrop1 for instance1 is not to me
 merely such a figure as a painter might
 give me by copying the flower when     
placed so that its loveliness shall be  
best apparent1 but a curious mental     
combination or selection from the       
figures which the flower may present    
when placed in every possible position1 
and in every aspect which it has worn   
from birth to grave1 and coloured by all
 the associations which have chanced to 
cling around it4 ,to the bodily eye     
which beholds it for the first time it  
might be of no consequence what lay     
within the petals1 though even then the 
imagination would be whispering some    

solution of the secret2 but to the eye  
of mind1 when the flower has been often 
seen1 that hidden green and yellow which
 is necessary to complete the harmony   
becomes distinctly visible--visible1    
that is1 in that strange1 indefinite way
 in which all things1 however apparently
 incompatible1 seem present and blended 
together when the imaginative faculty is
 at work4 ,the common ,star of          
,bethlehem 7,ornithogalum umbellatum7 is
 a good illustration of the working of  
this principle4 ,when ,i look at the    
beautiful silver-white of the inner     
surface of the petals1 my mind is always
 dwelling upon and rejoicing in the fact
 that their outer side is green1 though 
of that green outside ,i cannot see a   
hair's breadth4 ,again1 we find the same
 principle at work in the feeling which 
compelled the old sculptors to finish   
the hidden side of the statue4 ,they    
said1 ',for the gods are everywhere4'   
,there are people of whom we say        
7indeed1 it is possibly true of         

everyone7-- bas the cynics--that the    
more intimately we know them1 and the   
longer we know them1 the more we see to 
love and admire4 ,so it is with a really
 beautiful plant1 and for this reason   
they who would obtain all the possible  
pleasure and beauty from their gardens  
should become1 not gardeners only1 but  
also botanists and students of poetry   
and of beautiful form4  ,in spite of    
,shakspere's omission1 then1 ,i advise  
everyone to grow many species of        
,snowdrops2 indeed1 for a week or two in
 ,february1 my friend's sea-side garden 
seems to be all draped with their green 
leaves and serene green-white drops1 yet
 not one podgy1 graceless double flower 
is there among them all4 ,for he agrees 
with ,forbes ,watson that the doubling  
of beautiful flowers generally results  
in deformity and the destruction of all 
beauty and meaning4 ,double ,roses1     
,pinks1 and ,carnations1 he grows of    
course2 for their fragrance1 their      
history1 and1 in the case of ,roses1    

their continuous bloom compensate to    
some extent for the loss of character in
 the petals1 and for the pen-wiper      
appearance which has only too often been
 given to the individual flowers4  ,to  
return to the ,shakspere garden1 one    
finds that ,shakspere's floral year     
practically began with the ,daffodil4   
,when ,daffodils begin to peer1         
,with heigh6 the doxy o'er the dale1    
,why1 then comes in the sweet o' the    
year4  ,the yellow ,crocus seems to have
 been introduced into ,english gardens  
whilst ,shakspere was writing his plays1
 and there was then1 alas1 no           
,gardeners' ,chronicle to bring him the 
news4 ,gerard describes it as having    
flowers of a most perfect shining yellow
 colour1 seeming afar off to be a hot   
glowing coal of fire4 ,that pleasant    
plant was sent unto me from ,robinus1 of
 ,paris1 that painful and most curious  
searcher of simples4 ,what pictures are 
summoned before our minds' eyes even by 
the few words just quoted3 pleasant     

plant2 sent unto me from ,robinus of    
,paris2 that painful and most curious   
searcher of simples4 ,each phrase shows 
a type of mind or a view of life4  ,the 
garden of my friend is a pleasant       
garden1 and he1 too1 is a curious       
searcher of beautiful and pleasant      
plants4 ,that is why his garden seems to
 be an old-fashioned garden1 and not    
because it is at all like ,shakspere's  
garden1 or ,mary ,arden's garden1 or the
 hideous ,elizabethan gardens pictured  
in the ,hortus ,floridus1 published in  
#afad4 ,his1 though not by any means a  
,tottenham ,court ,road product1 is no  
,wardour ,street garden1 but is         
old-fashioned in the sense that some of 
,heal's bedsteads are old-fashioned1 or 
that beautiful ,english prose is        
old-fashioned as contrasted with the    
,english of the yellow press4  ,he would
 not be without his ,snowdrops1 and     
quite as emphatically would he not be   
without his ,crocuses4 ,great clumps    
everywhere1 among the shrubs1 at roots  

of trees and by the path-sides1 radiate 
light and beauty like so many fairyland 
flashes4 ,first come the violet cups of 
,crocus imperati1 often before ,january 
has passed2 then the brilliant array of 
yellow ,crocus luteus 7overwhelming the 
,snowdrops1 by then well past their     
chief beauty and chief interest71       
followed by ,crocuses of every shade of 
purple1 lavender1 and white4 ,these1    
like the ,snowdrops1 are left quite     
undisturbed year after year1 and if     
there be some little falling off in the 
size of the flowers1 which is doubtful1 
there is more than compensation in the  
added beauty which the resulting        
gradation of colour and natural grouping
 yield4 ,when ,i think of these glories1
 ,i can but reflect on how much beauty  
that academic ,shakspere-garden goes    
lacking4 ,indeed1 we shall all do well  
to steer clear of formulas and rigidity1
 as well in our lives as in our         
garden-beds4     ,,cottage ,,gardens    
,the term cottage garden is an elastic  

one1 and may be made to include all that
 big class of gardens where1 in the     
words of the flower-show schedule1 no   
regular gardener is employed4 ,but ,i   
think that most people1 when they think 
of cottage gardens1 picture to          
themselves those little wayside plots   
attached to the homes of working folks  
which cheer the passer-by nearly as much
 as they cheer their owners4 ,one thinks
 of ,rose and ,clematis climbing over   
the doorway1 of ,sweet-,williams1       
,ponies1 ,hollyhocks1 ,sunflowers and   
,pansies flowering in bed or border4    
,old-fashioned herbaceous plants are    
those which one associates with these   
cottage gardens1 and nearly the year    
through one expects to find something of
 interest and of beauty4  ,such is the  
ideal2 sometimes such is the reality4   
,in some of our rural districts1 where  
the local squire is of the resident     
benevolent feudal school1 the cottages  
are surrounded by little paradises of   
flowery beauty4 ,those who have         

travelled through the ,porlock ,estate  
of the ,acland family will know what ,i 
mean4 ,in many places1 however1 little  
pride or interest is taken in gardening1
 and the yards fronting the cottages are
 dull and dismal from ,january to       
,christmas4 ,indeed1 there are few      
districts where pretty cottage gardens  
are the rule4  ,yet it were as easy to  
create a lovely picture within an area  
of twenty square yards as in the space  
of a palace garden1 though possibly not 
so imposing or valuable an one4 ,the    
size of the canvas is a detail2 the     
other limitations are1 however1 more    
important4 ,in a little plot we must    
often do without those lovely           
backgrounds of tree and shrub and those 
lovely foregrounds of grass or other    
dwarf herbage which are such helps in   
creating great garden pictures4 ,it is  
at a sonnet that we small gardeners must
 aim and not at an epic or great        
narrative poem4 ,yet ,i often feel that 
brevity is of the very essence of fine  

poetry1 and it is possible that         
limitation of space may be contributory 
to the finest expression of gardening4  
,at all events1 it affords a greater    
test of one's skill and taste as a      
gardening craftsman1 for1 whereas1 in a 
big place1 trees1 shrubs and lawn almost
 create a beautiful garden of           
themselves1 in a little garden we have  
to practise more selection and more     
rejection1 and to exercise greater      
judgment and care in arrangement1 since 
here every detail counts and every fault
 jars4  ,the cottage gardener has       
usually to employ the simplest flowers  
wherewith to express himself1 but it is 
probable that this limitation is helpful
 rather than a source of increased      
difficulty4 ,he may say1 in the spirit  
of ,lewis ,carroll3--      ,i never     
loved a dear gazelle1       ,nor        
anything that cost me much3     ,high   
prices profit those that sell1          
,but why should ,i be fond of such8     
,and these old common plants thrive as  

well and flower as beautifully in the   
garden of the shepherd as in the grounds
 of ,windsor ,castle4 ,the wind blows   
from the same quarter1 the rain falls   
equally1 and the frost is as severe in  
the one as in the other4  ,i like each  
garden to contain some one feature of   
special and unique interest--some       
well-grown plant which is not much      
cultivated in the neighbourhood1 or some
 brilliant floral pageant peculiar to   
the particular garden4 ,thus1 one garden
 which ,i know is always associated in  
my mind with a little thicket1 about ten
 feet in height1 of the ,white-stemmed  
,bramble 7,rubus biflorus71 which1 on a 
moon-lit evening1 is a most impressive  
sight1 and even in winter is very       
beautiful4 ,in another little garden ,i 
always look for its show of beautiful   
,pansies1 of which its owner--a         
fisherman--is very naturally and rightly
 proud4 ,of course1 a special feature of
 this kind need not interfere with the  
perennial interest which every garden1  

even the smallest1 should possess4 ,for 
instance1 in the garden with the ,nepal 
,bramble 7which1 by the way1 is         
surprisingly little known when one      
recalls the fact that it was introduced 
many a hundred years ago7 are ,poppies  
and ,roses1 ,white ,musk-,mallows and   
,columbines1 ,canterbury ,bells and     
,michaelmas ,daisies2 and my friend of  
the ,pansies has the earliest ,crocuses 
and ,snowdrops in his village1 and      
relies on a hedge of ,chrysanthemums and
 ,rosemary to brighten his plot when the
 ,pansies are over4  ,if our suburban   
villas were fronted by unpretentious    
plots cultivated frankly as cottage     
gardens and bordered by simple palings1 
how very different would be their       
aspect1 and how much more pleasant would
 a suburban walk become4 ,for there are 
numerous plants of great beauty which   
would thrive even in the suburbs of     
,london1 given care and a little        
knowledge as to the correct preparation 
of the soil4  ,in the country1 very much

 may be done by those who care to do so4
 ,country squires1 doctors1 parsons and 
others who have money1 or time1 or      
influence can very materially alter the 
appearance of their district by         
encouraging the gardening spirit among  
working folks1 by helping with advice if
 they are themselves gardeners1 by      
helping with surplus plants1 seeds and  
cuttings1 and by organising competitions
 and offering prizes for the best kept  
cottage gardens4  ,small gardens are the
 largest which are at the disposal of   
most of us1 but we need not bemoan our  
fate on that account4 ,fully as great   
pleasure may be extracted from a tiny   
plot as from broad acres1 and a few     
plants well grown are as productive of  
satisfaction as is the largest          
collection4 ,it was a singular          
experience that long acquaintance which 
,i cultivated with beans1 said ,thoreau1
 but ,i was determined to know beans4   
,that is the true gardening spirit1 and 
with that as a possession one may pluck 

as much joy from the cultivation and    
study of ,thistles or ,brambles1 or even
 ,docks 7as ,canon ,ellacombe reports a 
friend as growing--his acquaintances1 of
 course1 laughing at him for making a   
,dock-yard71 as from the rarest ,orchids
 of the millionaire4  ,one of the       
greatest gifts of a perfect garden is   
the gift of solitude1 and that is       
generally beyond the power of the little
 cottage plot to offer2 but1 as a source
 of infinite pleasure to its owner1 as a
 source of pleasure to all those who    
pass by1 as a cheering feature of       
,english landscape1 and as a great force
 tending towards contentment and peace1 
the cottage garden is beyond price4     
,,the ,,garden ,,in ,,winter   ,when the
 last of the ,michaelmas daisies and of 
the out-door chrysanthemums have cast   
their blooms1 many gardeners are apt to 
think that the interest and beauty of   
the garden are over1 and that for three 
months there is nothing to be done but  
to dig and enrich the soil1 and to wait 

patiently for the onset of spring4 ,this
 is a narrow and an ill-informed view1  
for1 though through the months of winter
 we cannot hope to see many or gaudy    
flowers1 we may yet have our gardens    
bright and interesting with evergrey and
 evergreen shrubs and herbs1 with the   
delightfully-coloured barks of willows1 
dog-woods and other trees1 and1 not less
 interesting1 with the often beautiful  
stems of the last season's growth of    
herbaceous plants1 usually sacrificed to
 the tidying spirit of those who would  
tidy the floor of heaven itself4        
,moreover1 even in winter1 flowers of no
 mean rank may be had in the open       
borders of ,english gardens4            
,illustration3 ,,fritillaries  ,the     
,christmas and ,lenten ,roses or        
,hellebores alone can be so used as to  
make a border interesting during the    
whole of the winter months1 for not only
 do they all possess handsome foliage1  
but their flowers also are very         
beautiful and varied in colour4 ,they   

are easy of culture1 liking a deep1     
fairly stiff and rich1 though           
well-drained1 soil1 and thriving best in
 dense shade1 under trees or on the     
north side of a hedge or wall4 ,the     
,hellebores are impatient of disturbance
 and meddlesomeness4 ,the flowers1      
coming as they do in the rainy season1  
should be saved from being soiled with  
splashes of mud by having moss placed on
 the earth beneath them4 ,of the many   
species and varieties1 the old          
,christmas ,rose 7,h4 niger7 is by far  
the most valuable4 ,its large white     
flowers1 appearing at the end of the    
year1 when most flowers have succumbed  
to numbing cold or blighting winds1 stir
 the imagination in the same way as does
 a beautiful face in the ,bow ,street   
dock or a butterfly in a foundry4 ,the  
so-called ,helleborus niger maximus1 or 
,h4 altifolius1 has larger flowers1     
which1 moreover1 appear earlier than    
those of ,h4 niger1 but the colour is   
not so pure1 many of the flowers being  

tinged with pink4 ,the crimson ,h4      
abchasicus1 and ,h4 colchicus with      
flowers of darkest purple1 as well as   
some of the hybrids derived from them1  
should be grown in every garden4 ,the   
green and inconspicuous flowered        
varieties1 such as ,h4 ftidus1 ,h4      
lividus1 which came from ,corsica about 
the beginning of the eighteenth century1
 and ,h4 viridus1 are well worth growing
 for their foliage1 and indeed for their
 flowers also1 if there be any shady    
moist corner where few plants will      
thrive4  ,a plant somewhat related to   
the ,hellebores1 though smaller in every
 way1 is the pretty little ,winter      
,aconite 7,eranthis hyemalis71 which    
brightens the ground early in ,january  
with its yellow cups resting on the     
daintiest of green ruffles4 ,it looks   
its best when it has become well        
established and naturalised in grass1 or
 among trees and shrubs4 ,long after the
 flower has fallen1 the beautiful       
foliage continues to drape and decorate 

the earth during the early months of the
 year4 ,in warm1 sheltered situations1  
two species of ,scilla often produce    
their flowers in ,january3--,scilla     
bifolia1 which sends up spikes of dark  
blue bells1 the spikes being about eight
 inches in height1 and the much smaller 
and somewhat later ,s4 siberica1 with   
flowers of peculiarly intense blue4     
,some of the anemones often begin to    
flower in winter1 especially the ,blue  
,wind-flower of ,greece 7,a4 blanda71   
and in warm situations the old ,a4      
coronaria itself4 ,in any case the      
foliage of anemones1 and beautiful      
foliage it is1 is one of the ornaments  
of the hardy winter garden4 ,some of the
 species of crocus1 also1 belong to the 
section of winter bloomers1 notably the 
mauve ,c4 imperati1 and the pale lilac  
,c4 pulchellus4 ,in sheltered shady     
spots1 where it can enjoy well-drained  
leafy soil undisturbed1 the round-leaved
 ,cyclamen 7,c4 coum7 and its           
white-flowered variety 7,c4 hyemale7    

produce abundance of welcome little     
flowers often quite early in ,january4  
,those who fear the assaults of evil    
spirits should remember a couplet quoted
 in ,folkard's ,plant ,lore1 ,legends   
and ,lyrics3--      ,st ,john's ,wort   
and fresh ,cyclamen she in her chamber  
kept1     ,from the power of evil angels
 to guard him while he slept4  ,its     
potency as a drug was so thoroughly     
believed that ,gerard fenced round all  
his cyclamens1 and also laid sticks over
 them crosswise lest any unfortunate    
individual might tread on the corms1 and
 so bring about the direst results4  ,in
 wild waste spots1 or under trees where 
few things will thrive1 the fragrant    
,winter ,coltsfoot is well worth        
growing4 ,it spreads at a terrible pace1
 and must therefore not be introduced   
into the mixed borders4 ,the common     
primrose and its garden varieties1 as   
well as many other species of primula1  
are of the utmost value in the winter   
garden1 both for their foliage and for  

their flowers1 which in some cases begin
 to appear soon after ,christmas4 ,one  
of the very earliest is the purple      
,caucasian ,primrose 7,p4 amna71 which  
bears its umbel of flowers often in the 
very depth of winter4 ,all the primroses
 like shelter1 partial shade1 deep      
moderately-rich soil1 and peace and     
quietness4  ,but of all the flowers of  
winter1 the most beautiful is the       
fragrant ,iris reticulata4 ,no          
description can convey a tithe of its   
effect4 ,two grass-green sheaths drape  
the lower part of the flower-stalk1 the 
sheath on the convex side becoming at   
its margin so thin and transparent as to
 seem to melt into the stem itself4 ,the
 flower-stalk up to this point is of a  
curious green colour veined with purple1
 but gradually1 as the flower is reared1
 the purple increases so as to colour   
the whole surface of the stem2 and1     
indeed1 at the root of the petals the   
stem becomes almost black4 ,nor is the  
flower itself unworthy so dainty a      

support1 for the colouring and form are 
exquisite4 ,the falls1 which are        
coloured on the outside a dull purple   
with centrally some green spotting1 turn
 at about one quarter way from their    
extremities suddenly outwards almost at 
a right angle1 thus forming horizontal  
landing-places4 ,the inside of the fall 
is of a rich light violet colour1       
running up the centre from the claw's   
root being a white patch with yellow and
 dark purple markings1 terminating at   
the horizontal blade in glowing orange4 
,the effect is slightly reminiscent of  
that produced by a leopard's skin4 ,the 
standards are bright violet with relief 
of yellow pollen just below the centre1 
above which are little stigmatic ledges 
which brush pollen from entering        
insects4 ,the flower stalk is definitely
 arched as though the flower were too   
heavy for its strength1 but near the    
flower itself the stalk becomes erect1  
thus giving the whole an appearance of  
health and vigour4 ,the early ,irises   

are not difficult to grow in moderately 
light and well drained soil1 but they   
should usually be afforded a warm and   
sheltered site4 ,other fragrant species 
which bloom in winter or very early     
spring are the soft blue ,iris stylosa1 
of which there is an equally beautiful  
white variety1 and the purple and rose  
,iris histrio1 somewhat resembling ,iris
 reticulata in habit and colouring4     
,the flowers which usher out the winter 
and announce the near approach of the   
spring1 the winter gilliflowers or      
snowdrops1 have long been among the     
treasures of ,english gardens4          
,naturalised in grassy lawns or         
orchards1 or grown undisturbed in       
shrubbery borders1 the single and double
 common snowdrops 7,g4 nivalis7 almost  
invariably thrive and increase4 ,the    
common snowdrop is on the whole the most
 important and most valuable1 but in    
light warm soil the handsome ,galanthus 
,elwesi should be grown1 and in any soil
 the broad-leaved ,g4 latifolius1 and a 

fragrant hybrid derived from it1 ,g4    
,alleni1 with large flowers and leaves  
almost like those of the tulip4         
,several of the periwinkles1 notably the
 lilac ,vinca acutiloba1 bear flowers   
during the months of ,december and      
,january1 and in warm sheltered spots   
violets and roses may often be picked in
 the open air4  ,among the shrubs1      
several of the most beautiful bear their
 flowers in the depth of winter4 ,the   
fragrant yellowish flowers of the       
,winter ,sweet 7,chimonanthus fragrans71
 which is one of the many gracious gifts
 of ,japan1 are among the best of winter
 blossoms4 ,the ,chimonanthus is worth a
 place against a warm wall facing south4
 ,after flowering1 the young shoots     
should be pruned back to the old        
branches4 ,the variety known as         
,grandiflora bears somewhat larger      
flowers4 ,the scarlet flowers of        
,cydonia japonica 7the ,japan ,quince71 
are familiar to everyone although it is 
but a nineteenth century introduction   

into this country4 ,other species and   
varieties of ,quince1 however1 are      
equally well worth growing4 ,c4         
,mauleii1 with orange-red flowers freely
 produced seemingly over the entire     
plant1 ,c4 nivalis1 with large white    
flowers1 and ,c4 cardinalis are all     
good4  ,when the climate is mild1 and   
the soil not too heavy1 the ,laurustinus
 7,viburnum tinus7 is of great value in 
winter and early spring4 ,the yellow    
,jasmine and the shrubby ,honeysuckles1 
,lonicera fragrantissima and ,l4        
,standishi1 are easy to grow1 and should
 be seen in every open-air winter       
garden1 as also should the old ,daphne  
,mezereon1 single and double1 the double
 ,furze 7,ulex ,europaeus flore pleno71 
and the evergreen ,garrya elliptica with
 its hardier variety ,thuretii4 ,the    
,garrya is hardy enough in many gardens1
 but in exposed or cold situations      
profits by being afforded the shelter of
 a wall or other screen4 ,many other    
winter flowering shrubs and flowers     

might be named1 but ,i must refer       
readers to the list of winter bloomers  
which forms an appendix to my ,chronicle
 of a ,cornish ,garden4  ,great1        
however1 as is the importance of growing
 as many as possible of the plants which
 bear flowers through the months of     
winter1 the value of evergreen and      
evergrey foliage must not be overlooked4
 ,among the latter may be named         
,lavender1 ,rosemary1 ,pinks1           
,carnations1 ,mulleins1 ,alyssum1       
,lavender ,cotton1 ,stachys chrysantha1 
,achillea umbellata1 ,achillea moschata1
 ,silene maritima1 ,hieraceum villosum1 
,h4 gymnocephalus1 ,cistus 7of sorts71  
,artemisia lanata1 ,agrostemma1 ,senecio
 leucophyllus1 ,teucrum aureum1         
,cerastium tomentosum1 ,arabis          
variegata1 ,gypsophilum repens1 ,festuca
 glauca1 ,sedum ,turkestanicum1 ,olearia
 insignis1 ,agrostemma coronaria1       
,onopordon arabicum4 ,to give a list of 
useful evergreen plants would require   
much more space than ,i have to spare1  

but the following names may possibly be 
of some help4 ,of evergreen trees and   
shrubs1 ,yew1 ,hollies1 ,box1 ,tree     
,ivies1 ,pernettyas1 ,ruscus racemosus1 
the silver-edged ,euonymus radicans     
variegatus1 ,berberis aquifolium1       
,aucuba ,japonica 7and other kinds71    
,kalmia latifolia1 ,rhododendrons1      
,ericas1 ,sand ,myrtles1 ,dwarf         
,partridge ,berries1 ,andromedas1       
,skimmias1 ,olearia ,haasti and         
,phillyrea ,vilmoriana1 are among the   
most useful and interesting4 ,the number
 of valuable evergreen border plants is 
almost infinite2 the following list     
includes some of the best3--            
,saxifrages1 kinds numerous4   ,sedums1 
do4   ,sempervivums1   do4   ,gentiana  
acaulis4   ,gentiana verna4   ,primulas1
 kinds numerous4   ,helleborus1     do4 
,dwarf phloxes4   ,forget-me-nots4      
,thymus1 of sorts4   ,acanthus4   ,iris1
 kinds numerous1 especially valuable    
being ,i4 ftidissima with               
brilliantly red seeds4   ,omphalodes1 of

 sorts4   ,aubrietia4   ,arabis4        
,vinca4   ,violas and ,violets4         
,iberis4   ,sternbergia4   ,megaseas4   
,aquilegias4   ,asarum1 of sorts4       
,wallflowers4   ,cyclamen1 of sorts4    
,evergreen ferns should be grown in     
gardens much more than they usually are4
 ,the following are a few of the        
hardiest kinds3--    ,asplenium         
angustifolium4   ,asplenium ebenum4     
,aspidium ,floridanum4   ,camptosorus   
rhizophyllus4   ,dictogramma ,japonica4 
,lastrea marginalis4   ,lastrea         
,standishi4   ,lastrea aristata4        
,lastrea corusca4   ,lastrea fragrans4  
,lomaria alpina4   ,niphobolus lingua4  
,polystichum acrostichoides4            
,polystichum setosum4   ,phygopteris    
alpestris4   ,woodsia alpina4  ,the     
,british species of ,asplenium1         
,blechnum1 ,ceterach1 ,polypodium1      
,polystichum and ,scolopendrium are     
often useful and always available4      
,,the ,,garden ,,in ,,spring   ,the     
dividing line between the seasons is1 of

 course1 quite arbitrary1 for ,nature   
progresses evenly1 gradually1           
unceasingly1 and not in the jerky way   
which our clumsy divisions of time      
imply4 ,still it is convenient1 almost  
necessary indeed1 to adopt some such    
broad classification of the periods of  
the year as that into the four seasons  
which has done duty for so many         
centuries4 ,one may take the flowering  
of the snowdrop to indicate the onset of
 spring1 though itself belonging more   
especially to winter4 ,yet the ,dutch   
,crocus seems to be the earliest real   
spring flower1 and a brighter little    
herald of the glories to follow could   
not be selected4 ,the parents of most of
 the ,dutch ,crocuses are two species   
which grow wild in ,south-,eastern      
,europe1 ,c4 aureus and ,c4 vernus4 ,the
 latter is sometimes considered to be a 
native ,british plant1 but in all       
instances of its discovery in ,english  
hedges or meadows its presence is most  
likely due to removals of garden soil or

 garden rubbish4  ,there are nearly     
seventy distinct species of ,crocus     
known to botanists1 and most of these   
are well worth growing1 though more     
bloom in the autumn than in the spring4 
,even in the seventeenth century1       
,parkinson described as many as         
thirty-one kinds1 but probably some of  
these were merely garden varieties4     
,crocus imperati1 found wild near       
,naples1 is one of the earliest species 
to flower as it is also one of the most 
beautiful1 the inside of the petals     
being coloured a deep purple1 whilst the
 outside is of a lightish brown1 the    
stigma standing as a brilliant orange   
lamp in the centre of the flower's cup4 
,the ,crocuses will grow and prosper in 
almost any good soil1 especially if it  
rest on chalk or other porous subsoil4  
,the commoner kinds may advantageously1 
especially in soils not too heavy and   
wet1 be left in the ground undisturbed  
for many years1 and there are few floral
 sights more beautiful than that        

afforded by a skilful grouping of yellow
 crocuses naturalised in grass either   
under deciduous trees or in the open4   
,the very early species should be grown 
in a warm and sheltered position1 where 
the winds and frosts of ,january will   
not be able to destroy their beauty4    
,almost as valuable as the crocus1 and  
even more easy to grow1 are several of  
the species of scilla1 a bulb long      
cultivated in ,english gardens4 ,two of 
the species1 which are especially worth 
growing on account of their beauty and  
extreme earliness1 are the dark-blue ,s4
 bifolia 7with its varieties1 prcox and 
taurica7 and ,s4 sibirica1 with its     
intense1 vivid blue colour1 as of some  
gem resting on the dark green leaves4   
,later1 larger and sturdier1 though     
scarcely so valuable1 are the well known
 light blue ,spanish ,scilla1 ,s4       
campanulata1 and the numerous varieties 
of our beautiful wild bluebell1 ,s4     
nutans4 ,scillas1 like crocuses1 should 
be planted in bold natural groups among 

other plants1 or naturalised in woodland
 glades or shady lawns and meadows4     
,somewhat resembling the ,scillas1      
though even more beautiful1 are the     
recently introduced ,chionodoxas 7,c4   
,luciliae1 ,c4 ,sardensis1 and ,c4      
grandiflora71 which exhibit every shade 
of purest blue1 mingled in varying      
proportions with white4 ,in light soils 
they increase very rapidly both by      
division of bulbs and by seed4  ,a      
stately flower1 which formerly held a   
much more respected place in the garden 
than it now occupies1 is the ,crown     
,imperial 7,fritillaria imperialis74 ,in
 rich1 deep1 garden soil1 or in a rich  
shrubbery border1 it usually thrives2   
and when well established is an         
interesting and showy plant1 growing    
upwards of four feet to the top of its  
flower stalk in ,april or ,may4 ,there  
are varieties displaying various        
combinations of red1 yellow and orange4 
,parkinson placed it before all other   
,lilies1 and ,chapman referred to it as 

,emperor of ,flowers4 ,valuable as it   
is1 one is not disposed to place it on  
quite such a pinnacle to-day4 ,most of  
the other ,fritillaries are dwarf       
bulbous plants1 which thrive in rich1   
light soil1 preferably in the partial   
shade of deciduous trees4 ,the commoner 
kinds are very suitable for             
naturalisation in grass or woodland4    
,most of the ,fritillaries produce      
sombre-coloured1 curiously-chequered1   
snaky-looking1 pendulous flowers4  ,even
 in the seventeenth century ,parkinson  
describes twelve varieties1 but since   
his day numerous species have been      
discovered4 ,among those best for       
growing are ,f4 ,meleagris and its      
varieties2 ,f4 ,moggridgei1 an ,alpine  
species1 with yellow bells beautifully  
marked with brown and red on their inner
 surface2 ,f4 aurea1 and the brilliant1 
though somewhat tender1 ,f4 recurva4    
,the ,fritillary was so called because  
of its chess-board-like markings1 and   
for the same reason ,gerard spoke of it 

as the ,ginnie-hen flower4  ,the        
,grape-,hyacinths1 or ,muscari1 do not  
seem to have developed in popularity1 as
 their beauty in colouring and hardiness
 would have led one to expect4 ,in rich1
 deep1 sandy soil1 in the rock garden or
 border1 these bulbs thrive and         
multiply4 ,parkinson enumerated eight   
varieties1 which he called ,the         
,ash-,coloured ,musk ,grape ,flower1 the
 ,red ,musk ,grape ,flower1 the ,white  
,musk ,grape ,flower1 the ,dark-blue    
,grape ,flower1 the ,sky-coloured ,grape
 ,flower1 the ,branched ,grape ,flower1 
the ,white ,grape ,flower1 and the      
,blush ,grape ,flower4 ,the varieties   
which are most worthy of garden         
cultivation are ,m4 racemosum1 with its 
fruit-scented purple flowers and long   
drooping leaves2 ,m4 botyroides2 ,m4    
armeniacum1 which blooms later than most
 other kinds2 and ,m4 moschatum1 with   
little fragrant yellow bells4 ,the      
allied ,feather ,hyacinth1 ,m4 comosum  
monstrosum1 is equally well worth       

growing for the beauty of its feathery  
lilac blooms4  ,the ,snowflakes1 or     
,leucojums1 are again becoming popular  
and better known4 ,they have not the    
characteristic grace of the ,snowdrop1  
the stems being sturdier1 the arch being
 quite different in character1 and the  
petals being all of the same length2 but
 they have much beauty of their own and 
are easy to grow4 ,most of the ,alliums 
are interesting1 and should be planted  
where there is space at disposal1 as    
also should ,tritelia1 or ,milla        
uniflora4  ,but more important than most
 of these are the various ,anemones1    
both the fair and frail wild species    
which is found in our own woods 7,a4    
nemorosa7 and the numerous kinds--all   
beautiful--which have been introduced   
into our gardens from ,southern ,europe4
 ,the old ,poppy ,anemone 7,a4          
coronaria7 is a favourite with everyone1
 blooming as it often does during all   
the early months of the year4 ,it is    
easy to raise from seed sown in light   

soil in the open during ,march1 ,april  
or ,may4 ,the seedlings should be       
pricked out in ,september1 and that is  
also the month for planting the roots1  
should that method of obtaining plants  
be adopted4 ,in warm soils ,a4 coronaria
 lives on from year to year if left     
undisturbed1 but in other soils it is   
sometimes necessary to raise fresh      
plants annually4 ,the ,scarlet ,anemone 
7,a4 fulgens7 is the most brilliant     
flower of early spring1 whilst ,a4      
,apennina1 ,a4 blanda 7two species with 
flowers of the loveliest sky-blue71 ,a4 
sylvestris 7the ,snowdrop ,wind-flower71
 and ,a4 ranunculoides 7a charming      
yellow-flowering kind71 are all         
beautiful and hardy plants in most      
garden soils4  ,illustration3           
,,columbines  ,anemones are not bulbous 
plants1 but their tubers are usually    
listed in the florists' catalogues with 
bulbs1 and in many ways this is a       
convenient arrangement2 but of all      
bulbous plants those which have most    

attracted the attention of florists and 
hybridists are undoubtedly the ,tulip   
and the ,daffodil4 ,the ,daffodil has   
won the heart of the poet as well as of 
the florist1 and ,english verse is full 
of references to the darling ,daffodils 
7as ,marvell called them7 and faire     
,narcissus4 ,keats named these graceful 
flowers as an example of those things of
 beauty which are joys for ever1 and    
,shelley1 whose garden of the ,sensitive
 ,plant contained many beautiful        
flowers1 referred to the ,narcissus as  
the fairest among them all4  ,perdita's 
description of ,daffodils1      ,that   
came before the swallow dares1 and take 
,the winds of ,march with beauty1  is   
familiar to all who read their          
,shakespeare4 ,the daffodil is indeed an
 old-fashioned flower1 for dry specimens
 of ,narcissus ,tazetta have been found 
in ,egyptian mummy cases dating back    
nearly four thousand years4 ,mr         
,burbidge thinks that many species of   
,narcissus were introduced into ,england

 by the ,phnicians when they came to    
,cornwall for tin1 and1 as ,cornwall has
 a climate and soil eminently suited to 
daffodils1 these have been there        
perpetuated4 ,daffodils will grow in    
almost any garden soil1 but in many     
gardens1 especially in very rich soils  
or in soils which are badly drained1    
they tend to disappear in the course of 
one or two seasons4 ,a little shade from
 the heat of the sun is desirable1 as   
also is a little shelter from cold      
winds4 ,stiff loam of moderate richness 
is suitable for most varieties of       
daffodil1 and the bulbs should be       
planted by the end of ,august4 ,after   
being planted they should in suitable   
soils be left undisturbed for from two  
to six years2 and when lifted they      
should be placed to ripen in a shady    
place1 and replanted in the course of a 
month4 ,the bulbs should be planted from
 four to six inches apart1 and from four
 to six inches deep1 according to the   
size of the bulb and the lightness of   

the soil4 ,where all the varieties are  
beautiful it seems hopeless to select4  
,to a beginner1 perhaps1 the following  
list may be of some                     
help3--,poeticus-ornatus1 ,obvallaris1  
,emperor1 ,leedsii ,minnie-,hulme1      
,empress1 ,golden ,spur and ,grandee2 to
 which should be added the sweet        
,campernelle ,jonquil4  ,for            
naturalising in grass1 the poet's and   
star narcissi1 as well as some of the   
trumpet daffodils1 are particularly     
suited4  ,in the whole history of the   
craft1 few things have occurred so      
calculated to throw ridicule on         
gardening and gardeners as the          
celebrated outbreak of ,tulipomania in  
the seventeenth century1 though at times
 the contemporary ,daffodilmania        
threatens to rival it4 ,the ,tulip was  
introduced into ,england towards the end
 of the sixteenth century1 and but half 
a century later ,parkinson describes a  
hundred and forty varieties4 ,apart from
 the various species which the florist  

has not as yet seriously taken in hand1 
the bulk of the tulips commonly grown in
 gardens are of two great classes1 the  
short stalked ,april-flowering tulips   
which are descended from ,t4 suavolens1 
and the taller ,may flowering           
descendants of ,t4 ,gesneriana which are
 known as ,florist's ,tulips4 ,these    
garden varieties are of every shade of  
colour and do well in any rich          
well-drained garden soil4 ,it is        
advisable to lift them every year1 or in
 light soils every three years1 as      
otherwise they tend to become crowded   
and poor4 ,the bulbs should be planted  
in ,october1 about four inches deep and 
four inches apart1 and1 like all other  
bulbs1 if grown for decorative effect1  
should have the earth between them      
carpeted with some dwarf surface-rooting
 plants as elsewhere suggested4 ,far    
better for ordinary garden decoration   
than any of the florists' striped or    
feathered varieties is the parent of the
 race1 the brilliant red or crimson     

,gesner's tulip4 ,its effectiveness is  
much increased by the great dark brown  
blotch at the bottom of its cup1 and    
this is even more marked in the variety 
spathulata4 ,many of the self-coloured  
,darwin tulips are also delightful and  
vigorous growers4 ,the early dwarf      
species1 ,t4 ,greigi1 with its brilliant
 red flowers and quaintly marked leaves1
 is well worth cultivating either in    
small groups or bold masses1 as also is 
the native species1 ,t4 ,sylvestris1    
with pale yellow flowers of great       
beauty4 ,among other species and        
varieties specially worthy of a place in
 the garden are ,t4 ,elegans1 ,t4       
retroflexa1 ,t4 australis1 the dwarf ,t4
 kolpakowskyana1 ,t4 viridiflora1 ,t4   
clusiana 7introduced early in the       
seventeenth century71 ,t4 vitellina1 and
 the kinds known as ,golden ,eagle1     
,picotee1 and ,bouton d',or4 ,to modify 
the observation of a writer of the      
seventeenth century1 ,the tulip is a    
queenly flower1 and asketh a rich soil  

and the hand of a lover4 ,and indeed    
given these conditions tulips may be    
easily and successfully grown4  ,the    
bulbs already named are but a few of    
those worth growing for effects of      
beauty in the spring garden1 for a      
complete enumeration would occupy many  
times the amount of space at disposal4  
,there is1 however1 one other bulbous   
plant which should be included in any   
collection of spring flowers1 the       
,erythronium or ,dog's ,tooth ,violet4  
,the beautiful ,european species1 ,e4   
dens-canis1 has been grown in ,england  
for nearly three hundred years1 and1 in 
light soil and an open sunny site1      
produces its rose coloured flowers with 
freedom4 ,the more recently introduced  
,american species are equally worth     
growing4 ,spring is the great season for
 the flowering of bulbous plants for the
 very obvious reason that only plants   
with an accumulated store of last       
season's solar energy can produce       
flowers so early in the year4 ,for like 

reason it is that the thick-rooted      
primroses and other species of primula  
are such early bloomers4 ,the hybrid    
primroses 7mostly descendants of ,p4    
acaulis and ,p4 altaica7 often produce  
their variously coloured flowers long   
before the native ,p4 vulgaris begins to
 bloom4 ,the primroses rejoice in       
moderately rich soil and partial shade4 
,it is well to divide and replant every 
two or three years--especially in the   
case of the pretty ,p4 rosea4 ,in ,july 
it is a good plan to top-dress them with
 a fine and well rotted mixture of      
manure1 leaf mould and loam4 ,most of   
the primroses are easily raised from    
seed1 sown as soon as ripe in light soil
 kept shaded and slightly moist4 ,the   
old double primroses cannot of course be
 raised from seed1 and are by no means  
so vigorous as the single kinds4 ,they  
require partial shade1 and are somewhat 
intolerant of frequent interference4    
,oxlips1 ,cowslips and ,polyanthuses are
 all beautiful and easily grown4 ,among 

other species of ,primula which are     
easily grown and worth growing are ,p4  
denticulata1 with long stems surmounted 
by large mauve flower heads1 ,p4 d4     
,cashmeriana1 similar to denticulata but
 with yellow centres to the flowers1 ,p4
 cortusoides1 with beautiful            
rose-coloured flowers1 and the many     
varieties of the handsome ,p4 japonica1 
which specially likes moisture and      
shade4  ,given a well-drained1 yet not  
too dry1 situation1 the various ,alpine 
,auriculas are not difficult to grow1   
and include varieties with many         
beautiful colours4  ,the charming       
,hepatica ,angulosa and ,h4 triloba1 in 
its many kinds1 are lovers of shade1    
leaf-mould1 moisture and                
non-interference4 ,of the ,gentians1 the
 two species best worth cultivating are 
the little ,g4 verna and the old        
,gentianella 7,g4 acaulis71 both bearing
 flowers of the purest blue4 ,they are  
not plants which thrive everywhere1 but 
they like well-drained soil1 an open    

situation1 and moisture in summer4 ,the 
,gentian of ,pliny was probably the     
medicinal ,g4 lutea1 which is not very  
valuable for garden decoration4         
,candytuft1 ,violets1 ,doronicums1      
,aubrietia1 ,alyssum1 ,adonis vernalis1 
,double ,daisies1 ,thrifts1 ,lilies of  
the ,valley1 ,wallflowers1 ,dog's-tooth 
,violets1 ,asphodels1 ,trilliums1       
,dodecathons1 ,veronica prostrata1      
,saponaria ocymoides1 ,lithospermum     
prostratum and some of the species of   
,trollius are but a few of the very many
 beautiful spring flowers which may be  
grown in the open borders of ,english   
gardens4  ,to give the names of trees1  
shrubs and climbing plants which flower 
in spring is unnecessary1 for everyone  
must be well acquainted with the        
blossoms of ,apple1 ,pear1 ,plum and    
,cherry1 of ,hawthorn1 ,wistaria1       
,guelder ,rose1 ,syringa1 ,lilac and    
,laburnum4 ,there are1 however1 a few   
good shrubs which are not grown nearly  
as much as they should be4 ,those who   

can afford warm and sheltered sites     
should certainly try to grow the        
magnificent ,magnolias1 especially ,m4  
conspicua and ,m4 stellata2 and everyone
 may grow ,forsythia suspensa1 with long
 sprays of yellow flowers in ,april and 
,may1 ,spira ,thunbergii1 the leaves of 
which turn a crimson in autumn1 as also 
do the leaves of ,s4 prunifolia1 which  
is covered with white double-daisy-like 
flowers in spring1 and ,exochorda       
grandiflora 7,the ,pearl ,bush71 which  
likes plenty of sun and hates being     
cramped or cut4     ,,the ,,garden ,,in 
,,june   ,the flowering of the          
,columbine is the beginning of summer4  
,tulips and ,double ,narcissi and stray 
,anemones may still afford bright colour
 or sweet fragrance1 but they do not    
charm us any longer1 for they are of the
 spring1 and the spring is past4 ,what a
 beautiful old flower it is--the        
,columbine commendable1 as ,skelton     
called it four hundred years ago6       
,indeed1 all the old garden writers     

mention it1 its vigour and grace having 
always earned it a secure place in the  
,english garden1 where it has been grown
 for centuries for the delight both of  
its form and colours4 ,the ,columbines  
of our ancestors were all varieties of  
the wild ,english species 7,aquilegia   
vulgaris71 and so vigorous and handsome 
do some of these plants become under    
garden cultivation1 that it is          
questionable if any of the newer kinds  
surpass them in beauty4 ,however1 the   
various species of ,aquilegia which have
 from time to time been added to our    
garden flora are to be counted with the 
most valuable of plants1 among the best 
of them being the very curiously        
coloured red and orange species known as
 ,a4 ,skinneri1 the tall golden ,a4     
chrysantha1 and1 perhaps most beautiful 
of all1 the ,rocky ,mountain ,columbine1
 ,a4 crulea1 with its quaint green horns
 of honey4  ,this is the month when the 
,pyrethrums and ,ponies1 of which such  
splendid varieties have been raised by  

,messrs4 ,kelway and others1 are in     
their glory1 as also are the            
,snapdragons1 ,bride ,gladioli1         
,pansies1 ,ranunculuses 7of which the   
old ,r4 asiaticus1 though somewhat      
tender1 may be easily grown in rich     
light soil if planted in ,february at a 
depth of two inches and kept well       
watered during the growing period71     
,madonna ,lilies 7which must be planted 
in good garden soil and left alone71    
,lilium elegans1 and ,l4 longiflorum1   
with its beautiful varieties 7which like
 well-drained spongy soil containing    
plenty of leaf-mould74  ,if asked what  
was the typical garden flower of ,june1 
,i suppose that nearly everyone would   
name the ,rose4 ,as a matter of fact1   
however1 the great bulk of the ,roses   
now grown in gardens--that is the       
members of the two great classes known  
to gardeners as ,hybrid ,perpetuals and 
,tea-,roses--are not seen at their best 
before ,july4 ,but it is in ,june that  
the ,wild ,dog ,roses of our ,english   

hedgerows are in their glory1 as also   
are most of the ,briars imported from   
other countries1 together with the old  
,provence and other ,summer ,roses4     
,and1 with the possible exception of    
some of the ,teas1 it may well be       
doubted if any roses surpass in beauty  
such unimproved species as the          
deliciously fragrant ,macartney ,rose   
7,r4 bracteata71 the trailing ,rosa     
,wichuriana with its pure white cups1 or
 the sweet ,eglantine4 ,speaking of the 
,eglantine1 one is reminded of the      
lovely hybrids derived from it1 known as
 the ,penzance ,briars1 which combine   
the fragrant foliage of the ,sweet-briar
 with various beautiful blossoms        
according to parentage4 ,perhaps the    
most beautiful of all of them is the    
variety known as ,lady                  
,penzance--descended from the ,austrian 
,copper ,briar and the ,eglantine--which
 has single flowers of the most delicate
 blend of pink1 yellow and orange4 ,one 
great advantage which these             

single-flowered briars1 as well as most 
of the ,june-flowering roses1 have over 
the ,hybrid ,perpetuals is that they may
 be left practically unpruned1 and so   
display the naturally graceful habit    
which is as important a part of the     
beauty of the ,rose as is the flower    
itself4  ,of all the flowers of ,june1  
,i should myself crown the ,pink 7or    
,pentecost flower--for such is said to  
be the source of its name7 for its      
fragrance1 the ,spanish ,iris for the   
beauty of its flowers1 and the ,rose for
 its grace4 ,the ,flower-de-luce1 or    
,iris1 is of nearly a hundred species   
and of many hundred varieties1 among    
which are some of the most beautiful    
flowers which can be grown in the open  
air of ,england4 ,many of the irises1   
however1 require the expenditure of much
 knowledge and skill that they may      
prosper1 but the so-called ,spanish     
,irises1 which are among the most       
wonderfully formed and coloured of all1 
may be grown by anyone who can grow     

ordinary hardy plants4 ,they rejoice in 
sun1 shelter and a light1 well-drained  
soil4  ,the ,iris is well named1 for    
nearly every shade given by the rainbow 
is represented in one or other of its   
kinds1 though there is none of the gaudy
 glaringness1 commonly--though          
wrongly--attributed to that phenomenon4 
,spenser appreciated the unique quality 
of the beauty of the ,iris1 although he 
had not met with many of the splendid   
kinds which everyone may now grow4      
,strow mee the grounde with             
,daffadown-,dillies1     ,and ,cowslips1
 and ,kingcups1 and lovd ,lillies2      
,the ,pretty ,pawnce               ,and 
the ,chevisaunce     ,shall match with  
the fayre ,floure ,delice4  ,june is a  
great month for old-fashioned           
flowers--the flowers of sentiment1 as   
time and literature have made           
them--gold-dusted ,snapdragon1 ,sweet   
,william with his homely cottage smell1 
,woodbine hanging bonnilie1 ,foxglove   
cluster dappled bells1 ,pony1 ,lilac1   

,laburnum and fresh ,hawthorne1 each    
full of tender associations1 and each   
very beautiful in itself4  ,in ,june a  
spirit of indolence begins to come over 
the gardener who grows his flowers in   
the open air4 ,all through the months of
 spring1 the garden contains--or should 
contain--numerous objects of beauty and 
numerous objects of interest1 but not   
until ,june does the garden become      
swamped by a great sea of beauty1 in the
 presence of which the modest gardener  
can but stand aside and gaze with wonder
 and enjoyment4     ,,how ,,to ,,grow   
,,roses   ,roses are lovers of pure air 
and are therefore difficult to grow in  
large cities1 though even there         
beautiful specimens are occasionally to 
be seen4 ,they require the shelter of a 
high hedge on the north side1 and also  
dwarfer shrubby screens at a little     
distance on the east1 south and west in 
order to break the force of winds from  
those quarters4 ,yet these screens must 
not be sufficient to shade the plants1  

for roses are great sun lovers4  ,like  
other hardy plants1 they rejoice in     
deep1 rich1 well-drained soil containing
 plenty of humus derived from the       
decomposition of stable or farm-yard    
manure4 ,most of the hybrid perpetuals  
do best in a rather heavy soil1 though  
sandy loams are often to be preferred   
for the culture of ,tea roses4          
,purchase roses grown on the briar stock
 or on their own roots1 and insist on   
the plants having plenty of fibrous     
roots4  ,illustration3 ,,honesty  ,order
 from a reliable florist early in       
,october1 requesting that the roses may 
reach you early in ,november4 ,the      
ground having been trenched and manured 
some weeks previously1 the roses should 
be carefully planted immediately on     
their arrival4 ,for each rose should be 
dug a hole about a foot square1 and of  
such a depth that the planted rose shall
 have the junction of its stock and     
scion about two inches below the surface
 of the soil4 ,in this hole the plant   

should be placed1 and its roots 7which  
may with advantage be dipped into a pail
 of water just before being planted7    
carefully spread out and covered with a 
few inches of fine soil4 ,this should be
 firmly trodden in and the hole then    
filled with the ordinary soil4 ,if the  
weather be dry1 yet not frosty1 it is   
well to settle the soil above the roots 
by means of a heavy watering4 ,if the   
roses are to form a bed1 they may1 if   
dwarfs1 be planted at an average        
distance of about eighteen inches apart4
  ,but a bed of roses1 beautiful as it  
is1 is but one expression of the culture
 of these precious flowers4 ,over walls1
 trellises1 arches and arbours they     
should be allowed to trail and climb at 
will1 showing the graceful curves of    
briar stem1 as well as the beautiful    
flowers themselves4 ,many roses1 too1   
can be used to form hedges either alone1
 in the case of such varieties as the   
,ayrshires and ,evergreens1 ,rosa       
,brunonii1 the ,crimson ,rambler1 the   

,scotch ,briars and some of the         
,penzance ,sweet ,briars1 or with other 
shrubs in the case of more leggy and    
straggling kinds4  ,in the ,april of    
each year1 cut out all weak sappy       
growths1 and1 in the case of hybrid     
perpetuals1 cut back to about eight     
inches from the surface of the ground   
the strong shoots which remain4 ,teas1  
if required for garden decoration1 need 
only be thinned out1 any dead wood being
 removed at the same time1 and similar  
treatment is applicable to most of the  
summer roses4  ,it is difficult to      
select a few varieties as specially     
worthy of cultivation where so many are 
excellent4 ,the old ,provence1 ,gallic  
and ,moss ,roses bloom only in ,june and
 ,july1 but are well worth growing for  
their fragrance1 beauty and             
associations1 as are also such summer   
bloomers as that vigorous hybrid ,china 
known as ,blairii ,no4 #b1 and the very 
floriferous white ,madame ,plantier4    
,the hybrid sweet briars1 notably ,lady 

,penzance and ,anne of ,geierstein1 are 
of the easiest culture1 but a warm      
sheltered situation is required by the  
beautiful ,austrian copper briar1 which 
is not everyone's rose4  ,easiest of all
 roses to grow are the ,climbing        
,evergreen and ,ayrshire varieties1 of  
which ,bennett's ,seedling bears white  
flowers1 most of the other kinds        
producing flowers of sundry shades of   
pink4 ,the ,japanese roses 7,r4 ,rugosa7
 are almost equally vigorous and        
rampant1 and are specially valuable for 
their scarlet fruits which help to      
brighten the garden in late autumn4     
,but1 after all1 it is the so-called    
perpetual bloomers on which most        
gardeners will place the highest value1 
and here the choice of good varieties is
 very great4 ,there are seven principal 
classes of perpetual or autumnal roses1 
known respectively as ,hybrid           
,perpetuals1 ,teas1 ,hybrid ,teas1      
,china ,roses1 ,bourbons1 ,noisettes and
 ,hybrid ,moss ,roses4 ,from these      

classes1 if ,i were asked to select     
eight varieties for a beginner to learn 
on1 ,i should name ,madame ,berard      
7,tea71 ,marie van ,houtte 7,tea71      
,blanche ,moreau 7,moss71 ,celine       
,forestier 7,noisette71 ,souvenir de la 
,malmaison 7,bourbon71 ,ducher 7,china71
 ,prince ,camille de ,rohan 7,hybrid    
,perpetual7 and ,viscountess ,folkestone
 7,hybrid ,tea74  ,a few more names of  
good roses are these--,among ,hybrid    
,perpetuals3 ,fisher ,holmes1 ,ulrich   
,brunner and ,mrs ,john ,laing2 among   
,hybrid ,teas3 ,mrs ,w4 ,j4 ,grant1     
,bardou ,job1 ,la ,france and ,kaiserin 
,aug4 ,victoria2 among ,teas3 ,marechal 
,niel1 ,hon4 ,edith ,gifford1 ,niphetos1
 ,madame ,lambard1 ,belle ,lyonnaise1   
,madame ,hoste1 ,madame ,falcot and     
,souvenir de ,s4 ,a4 ,prince2 and1 among
 ,noisettes3 ,william ,allen            
,richardson1 ,aime ,vibert1 ,madame     
,alfred ,carrire and l',idal4 ,to       
mention ,gloire de ,dijon is1 of course1
 superfluous1 though ,i am inclined to  

regard its general utility as somewhat  
overrated4     ,,the ,,garden ,,in      
,,july   ,a flower with a history1 with 
a name long honoured1 full of that blue 
blood which a genealogical tree is      
supposed to imply1 the ,carnation needs 
no apology or recommendation4 ,it was   
among the most admired of the flowers   
used by the ,greeks and ,romans in the  
making of chaplets1 and hence derived   
its name of ,coronation by which        
,spenser and other early writers knew   
it4 ,its generic name1 ,dianthus1 or    
,flower of ,jupiter1 equally points to  
the high honour in which it was held by 
the ,latins4 ,it was formerly much used 
both medicinally1 wonderfully above     
measure comforting the heart1 and for   
the flavouring of liquors--whence it    
obtained its name of ,sops-in-wine3--   
,and many a ,clove ,gilofre1         ,to
 put in ale1     ,whether it be moist or
 stale4  ,the beautiful form of the     
flowers of the various species of       
,dianthus--,pinks1 ,carnations and      

,sweet ,williams--partly accounts for   
its distinguished position1 but the     
characteristic fragrance has been even  
more contributory to its reputation4    
,the old name of ,july-flower1          
gilli-flower1 or gylofre was but a      
corruption of caryophyllus--the         
nut-leaved clove tree--which name it    
earned by its delicious spicy scent4    
,much more regard was paid to fragrance 
by the old gardeners and flower-lovers  
than seems to be the case to-day1 and it
 is very much to be regretted that many 
of the most beautiful of the newer      
varieties of carnation are nearly       
scentless1 or as nearly scentless as any
 member of the family can be4 ,in       
ordinary good garden soil most of the   
carnations can be easily grown4 ,it is a
 good plan thoroughly to prepare and    
enrich the ground in ,august1 and to    
raise on it a crop of mustard1 digging  
in the latter a month later1 at which   
time the ,carnations should be planted4 
,two varieties which ,i would recommend 

to a beginner are the pure white clove  
variety1 ,gloire de ,nancy1 and the old 
,crimson ,clove4 ,it should be borne in 
mind that carnations do not thrive in   
the shade1 and that they will not       
tolerate the presence of rank manure4   
,they are1 however1 among the plants    
which can be grown in the muggy         
atmosphere of cities4  ,blue is the only
 colour which is not to be found among  
the carnations1 and indeed it is a      
colour not very common in the garden    
flora4 ,gentians1 ,forget-me-nots1      
,veronicas1 ,borage1 and a few others   
are the only blue flowers commonly to be
 seen1 but among these few others there 
is one of the stateliest and most       
beautiful of the ornaments of the ,july 
garden4 ,the ,larkspur1 ,lark's-heels1  
or ,delphinium 7,dolphin flower7 is one 
of those few old fashioned flowers which
 have been really improved in every way 
by the selection and hybridising of the 
florist4 ,the varieties raised during   
the past few years by ,messrs ,kelway of

 ,langport and others are more robust   
and more beautiful than the original    
species or than any of the old garden   
kinds4 ,the sepals are of every shade of
 blue and their beauty is enhanced by   
the white petals within4 ,the foliage   
too is very beautiful1 and1 the plant   
being of the same width                 
throughout--cylindrical rather than     
conical in form--the leaves1 with the   
exception of those near the ground1 are 
finely divided in order to allow light  
to reach the leaves below4 ,the         
,delphinium is elaborately equipped with
 machinery for securing effective cross 
fertilisation by its bumble-bee         
visitors4 ,the stamens ripen before the 
pistil1 and are so placed that the bee  
cannot get at the honey without covering
 its head with pollen1 which it then    
bears to another flower4 ,the stigma is 
not in evidence until the stamens have  
died1 when it occupies a similarly      
obstructive position in the road of the 
pollen-covered bee4 ,martagon ,lilies1  

,alstroemerias1 ,montbretias1 ,english  
,irises1 ,hollyhocks1 ,lupins1          
,perennial ,peas1 ,coreopsis1 ,scabious1
 ,galega officinalis alba and all the   
species of ,campanula are among the     
,july bloomers4 ,pretty as they are1 the
 old blue and white ,canterbury ,bells  
are by no means so graceful as many of  
the other ,bellflowers4 ,c4 pyramidalis1
 ,c4 persicifolia and ,c4 glomerata are 
among the best of the tall kinds1 whilst
 from the dwarfer species may be        
selected ,c4 isophylla1 ,c4 carpatica1  
,c4 alpina1 and ,c4 turbinata4  ,in     
,july also the handsome plants of the   
,thistle family are at their period of  
greatest beauty4 ,echinops ruthenicus1  
,e4 ritro1 ,eryngium amethystinum1 ,e4  
,oliverianum1 ,e4 giganteum and ,e4     
glaciale are among the finest1 but those
 habitants of the kitchen garden--the   
,cardoon and the ,globe                 
,artichoke--require much excellency in  
their peers4  ,july is the month of     
climax for the gardener who grows only  

annual flowers raised afresh each year  
from seed4 ,a very fine show he may     
have1 too1 during his somewhat brief    
season4 ,to the grower of herbaceous    
plants who aims1 and wisely aims1 at    
having flowers all the year through1    
,july is but one month out of twelve4   
,spring means for him not a season for  
sowing1 so much as a very flowery       
season1 full of ,crocuses and ,anemones1
 of ,primroses and of ,hepaticas2 for   
him even winter itself is not           
flowerless1 since he has his ,hellebores
 and winter ,aconites and fragrant      
,coltsfoot4 ,but with annual flowers the
 case is different4 ,it is true that1 by
 sowing in ,july or ,august1 one may    
obtain such beautiful flowers as those  
of ,erysimum1 ,nemophila and ,saponaria 
calabrica in the spring1 but the great  
bulk of annual flowering plants are     
summer bloomers4 ,many of them are among
 the most beautiful1 and certainly among
 the most showy1 of our garden          
occupants4 ,sweet-peas1 ,convolvuli and 

,nasturtiums are as beautiful as any    
perennial climber2 and one has but to   
name ,cornflowers1 ,mignonette1         
,coreopsis1 ,escholtzias and the        
glorious and gaudy army of ,poppies in  
order to show what a garden of annuals  
may offer in the months of summer4  ,i  
know of no floral sight more brilliant  
than that of a garden full of poppies in
 full bloom4 ,each flower is bright     
almost to gaudiness1 yet with petals so 
thin and flimsy that no insect can rest 
on them1 and each cup is accordingly    
furnished with a substantial alighting  
stage in its centre4 ,shirley poppies in
 every shade of red2 ,iceland poppies in
 every shade of white1 yellow and       
orange2 scarlet ,tulip poppies2 white   
,alpine poppies--one knows not which to 
prefer4 ,the poets have generally used  
the poppy only for its assistance in    
pointing a moral4 ,thus1 for example1   
,burns--      ,pleasures are like       
poppies spread--     ,you seize the     
flower1 its bloom is shed4  ,faire      

without and foule within has generally  
summed up its popular reputation1 though
 ,ruskin has spoken with appreciation of
 its beauty and delicacy4  ,all the     
hardy annuals are easy to grow1 their   
requirements being ample sunshine1      
deeply dug soil1 finely broken up and   
moderately1 though not excessively1     
enriched1 and ample space for individual
 development4 ,where failure occurs1 it 
may usually be traced to omission of one
 or other of these conditions--most     
commonly1 perhaps1 of the one last      
named4 ,there are few annuals which will
 thrive in the shade1 though            
,forget-me-nots1 ,venus's ,looking-glass
 and ,nemophilas will succeed in damp   
situations if the shade be not too      
intense4  ,personally1 although ,i      
should not like to grow annuals alone1  
,i should regretfully miss my hedge of  
,sweet-peas1 my ,poppies1 and the       
soothingly fragrant1 though             
insignificant1 flowers of my            
,mignonette4  ,one other annual flower  

is the prettily and appropriately named 
,love-in-a-,mist1 with the daintiest of 
blue flowers enveloped as in a green    
cloud4 ,if our poets were wont to look  
at flowers for themselves instead of    
copying one another's natural history1  
they might be referred to this          
delightful plant4 ,mr ,swinburne1 ,i    
think alone among poets1 has used it as 
subject for one of his roundels4        
,fortunately1 the neglect of poets has  
little influence on the beauty of       
flowers4     ,,night ,,in ,,the ,,garden
   ,during the heated days of late      
summer1 few but the most enthusiastic of
 gardeners care to loiter in the open   
garden until evening4 ,then1 the sun    
having sunk in the west1 we venture     
forth from the shade of house or of     
trees1 and leisurely walk the round of  
our paths1 refreshingly fanned by the   
little rippling breeze which makes the  
leaves flutter as it rhythmically comes 
and passes4 ,the last bees have reached 
their hives1 laden with the sweet       

product of their hard labour4 ,the      
honeyed flowers1 which look to their    
visits and to the visits of other       
sun-loving insects for aid in           
fertilisation1 have1 so far as possible1
 covered their tempting cups to avoid   
the damping or loss of the precious     
pollen within4 ,snails and slugs crawl  
from hidden caves1 prepared to work in  
darkness the evil which fear of         
feathered warders hinders by day4       
,except for these workers of ill1 these 
foes of beauty1 the garden is apparently
 going to sleep4 ,but wait4 ,wherefore  
is this increasing fragrance streaming  
from the honeysuckle trellis into the   
cooling air--a fragrance surely not     
without seductive purpose8 ,straight as 
the course of a homeward bound bee1 a   
hawk-moth flies to the expanded blossoms
 and extracts the honey from the narrow 
tubes1 too deep for bee or wasp to      
sound4 ,look1 too1 at this bed which but
 an hour ago showed nothing but a green 
mass of leaves serrated as those of     

dandelions4 ,great white flowers1 three 
inches or more across1 have now appeared
 and produce a truly wonderful effect4  
,these are the flowers of one of the    
evening primroses 7,oenothera           
taraxicifolia71 originally imported from
 ,america4 ,not so pure a white are the 
larger blossoms of another evening      
primrose 7,oe4 marginata7 which is just 
beginning to send forth from the border 
a fragrance as of magnolias4 ,the old   
double white ,rocket 7,hesperis         
matronalis71 or ,damask ,violet1 as it  
was formerly called1 smells more        
strongly as evening draws in1 and its   
scent now takes on the character of the 
scent of ,violets4 ,even more noticeable
 is the delicious fragrance which begins
 to be yielded by the ,night-scented    
,stock 7,hesperis tristis71 a fragrance 
which will continue until the           
commencement of the dawn4 ,in the       
presence of these happenings1 we begin  
to realise that the garden is not after 
all asleep4 ,indeed1 we see that a part 

at least of the living beauty of nature 
only awakes at the approach of night4   
,convention rules over us1 and in the   
most unlikely places we see those       
unadaptive1 stereotyped results which   
mark the realms where she is sovereign4 
,how otherwise can we account for the   
fact that1 although evening is the best 
time for enjoying the flowers of our    
gardens during the months of ,july and  
,august1 few gardeners ever think of    
devoting any part of their borders to   
the cultivation of flowers which bloom  
at night8 ,yet the pleasure to be       
obtained from them is very great1 and   
the possible variety is considerable4   
,nearly all are fragrant1 as otherwise  
it would be difficult in the darkness   
for them to attract the moths which they
 mostly desire as pollen bearers4  ,none
 of these flowers of night are more     
remarkable than ,silene nutans1 one of  
our native catchflies 7so called from   
their viscid stems which prevent ants   
and creeping things from reaching and   

robbing the honey stores71 which may    
occasionally be seen growing on         
limestone rocks4 ,this plant bears many 
large white flowers during ,june and    
,july1 each flower living but for three 
nights4 ,at about seven o'clock of the  
first evening1 the flower quickly opens 
and emits a strong scent as of          
hyacinths4 ,five of its stamens quickly 
develop1 the pollen ripens and the      
anthers burst4 ,at three o'clock in the 
morning1 or thereabouts1 the scent      
ceases to be produced1 the five anthers 
wither1 and the corolla closes4 ,during 
the following day the flower looks as   
though dead or dying4 ,at the same hour 
as on the previous evening1 however1 it 
again opens and again becomes fragrant4 
,five more stamens develop and ripen    
their pollen1 after which the plant     
again closes as before4 ,the proceeding 
is again repeated on the third night1   
the pistil1 however1 now developing     
instead of the stamens4 ,the stigma     
having been fertilised with pollen      

brought by moths from another flower1   
the corolla closes as before in the     
early morning1 and never again reopens4 
,other of the ,silenes1 such as ,s4     
noctiflora1 ,s4 inflata1 ,s4 vespertina1
 and ,s4 longiflora1 also bloom at night
 and are equally interesting4  ,almost a
 shrub in size1 the ,marvel of ,peru    
7,mirabilis jalapa7 is one of the       
handsomest of night blooming plants1    
opening its variously coloured ephemeral
 flowers at about eight o'clock1 and    
closing them again for good and all     
before three o'clock the following      
morning4 ,it is a somewhat delicate     
plant and will only thrive in warm soils
 and sunny situations4 ,a plant not     
often seen in gardens is the fragrant   
,sand ,verbena 7,abronia fragrans71 a   
,californian perennial of fairly        
vigorous trailing habit1 producing a    
quantity of beautiful flowers of purest 
white which open and yield a            
vanilla-like fragrance at night4        
,illustration3 ,,macartney ,,roses      

,although too delicate to be grown all  
the year through in the open air of this
 country1 several of the ,thorn apples  
or ,daturas can easily be grown as      
half-hardy annuals1 and during ,july and
 ,august are objects of great beauty4   
,the mauve-tinged white trumpets of ,d4 
,ceratocaula which open and afford sweet
 fragrance at night are especially      
handsome1 but some of the other kinds   
are almost equally worth growing4  ,in  
addition to the evening primroses       
already referred to1 there are several  
other very attractive species1 some     
being delightfully fragrant4 ,they are  
quite easily grown in almost any soil1  
and night-gardeners should cultivate all
 of them4 ,oenothera eximia1 which likes
 a light soil1 is one of the best of the
 white-flowered kinds1 its scent        
somewhat resembling that of the         
magnolia4 ,oe4 speciosa 7white to rose71
 ,oe4 odorata 7yellow71 ,oe4 fruticosa  
7yellow71 ,oe4 macrocarpa 7yellow71 ,oe4
 biennis grandiflora 7yellow71 and ,oe4 

triloba 7yellow7 are but a few names4   
,some of the evening primroses remain   
more or less open in the daytime1 in    
which case they are usually visited by  
bees as well as by their guests of the  
night4  ,the catchflies are a family of 
night-bloomers1 and their relative1 the 
,soapwort 7,saponaria officinalis71     
resembles them in this respect1 for its 
large rosy flowers open and become      
fragrant much after the manner of those 
of ,silene nutans4 ,the common pinks1   
too1 which are allied plants1 yield     
increased fragrance during the hours    
between sunset and sunrise1 and are then
 frequently visited by moths4  ,the     
petunias are not often capable of being 
grown as hardy perennials in ,english   
gardens1 but are easily grown as        
half-hardy annuals4 ,they lend much     
beauty and fragrance to the             
night-garden1 the white ,p4             
nyctanigiflora being especially good4   
,all the scented pelargoniums are       
delightful1 the night-scented ,p4 triste

 and ,p4 atrum being as good as any4    
,the hardy terrestrial orchids1         
,habenaria bifolia and ,h4 chlorantha1  
which yield their spicy fragrance at    
night1 are easily grown in the bog      
garden1 or indeed in any damp shady     
place if plenty of leaf-mould be mixed  
with the soil4  ,although usually to be 
seen only under glass1 it would be      
impossible to dismiss the subject of    
night blooming plants without referring 
to the ephemeral blossoms of the        
night-flowering cactuses1 ,cereus       
grandiflora--with its vanilla scented   
brown and yellow flowers1 often         
measuring a foot across--and ,c4        
nycticalus1 known as the ,queen of the  
,night4 ,the flowers of these plants    
open at about nine o'clock and begin to 
wither some six hours later4  ,one might
 go on adding to the list1 but1 even    
from the few plants here enumerated1 it 
will be seen that the night gardener has
 a considerable field in which to work2 
whilst to those who share ,baudelaire's 

love of scents1 the realm of            
night-blooming flowers should be a very 
,paradise4      ,il est des parfums     
frais comme des chairs d'enfants1       
,doux comme les hautbois1 verts comme   
les prairies1     ---- ,et d'autres1    
corrumpus1 riches et triomphants1       
,ayant l'expansion des choses infinies1 
,comme l'ambre1 le muse1 le benjoin et  
l'encens1     ,qui chantent les         
transports de l'esprit et des sens4     
,,the ,,garden ,,in ,,august   ,august  
is really but ,july continued1 for no   
important new feature is peculiar to it4
 ,july is very distinct from ,june1 as  
the latter is from ,may1 and that again 
from ,april1 but ,july and ,august are  
essentially alike4 ,the weather is      
similar1 the flowers are similar1 and1  
as a result1 it is probable that the    
enthusiasm of gardeners reaches a lower 
point in ,august than in any other month
 of the year4  ,roses and ,carnations   
are still among the most important      
flowers in the garden1 and the majority 

of summer blooming annuals and perennial
 herbaceous plants are still flowerful4 
,it is somewhat depressing to observe   
how the beautiful race of ,fuchsias has 
gone out of cultivation since it went   
out of fashion4 ,i do not know quite    
when the ,fuchsia was introduced into   
this country1 but ,i believe it was     
about the middle of the eighteenth      
century4 ,the ,rev4 ,william ,hanbury1  
,rector of ,church ,langton1 in         
,leicestershire1 in a two volume work in
 folio1 entitled ,a ,complete ,body of  
,gardening and ,planting1 published in  
#agga1 of which ,i possess a copy1 says 
that in his time only one species of    
,fuchsia was known4 ,this being the only
 species of the genus1 it is named      
simply ,fuchsia4 ,father ,plumier calls 
it ,fuchsia triphylla flore coccinea4   
,it grows naturally in most of the      
warmest parts of ,america4 ,hanbury     
included it among stove plants1 alleging
 that it is very tender at all times1   
but as a matter of fact ,f4 coccinea can

 easily be grown in the open air in most
 districts of ,england1 though it       
thrives best in the milder parts4 ,the  
scarlet drops hanging from a tall bush  
of this plant--and it sometimes reaches 
a height of five or six feet1 or even   
more--are very attractive1 and one can  
but admire the taste of the humming     
birds which in its native home the      
,fuchsia seeks to attract4  ,except near
 the sea and in certain warm situations1
 ,fuchsias can hardly be regarded as    
thoroughly hardy plants2 but1 wherever  
they will succeed1 they should certainly
 be grown1 for they are amongst the most
 beautiful ornaments of the garden in   
late summer and autumn4 ,perhaps the    
hardiest of all is ,f4 ,riccartoni1 with
 bright red flowers1 but the old ,f4    
globosa is almost its equal in vigour4  
,f4 macrostema gracilis is of taller    
and1 as its name implies1 of more       
slender habit than the other hardy      
kinds4 ,it has the further advantage of 
producing its pretty scarlet and purple 

drops somewhat later in the autumn4 ,a  
,fuchsia bush rarely looks shabby on    
account of dead and dying flowers1 for1 
when their work is done1 the petals     
usually fall before they have begun to  
wither4  ,i am sure that gardeners who  
study the native flora of ,england      
derive much more pleasure from their    
flowers than those who focus all their  
attention on the cultivated species and 
hybrids which are grown in gardens4 ,the
 hedges and woodlands are full of       
examples and full of suggestions1 for   
they show us the habit and manner of    
life of the ,english relatives of our   
exotic plants4 ,by studying the wild    
species with their wonderful grace and  
simple beauty1 indicative of adaptation 
of means to ends1 we are less liable to 
become the slaves of the florists4  ,the
 hedges1 or rather the wayside patches  
at the hedgerow's base1 are very        
beautiful just at this season1 with the 
yellow flowers of two of the            
,cinquefoils1 the silky fern-like-leaved

 ,potentilla ,anserina 7,silver weed7   
and the creeping ,p4 reptans4 ,the      
,cinquefoil much resembles the          
,strawberry1 producing its honey by     
means of a dark-coloured ridge which    
runs round the tube of the flower near  
its base4 ,its stamens and pistil       
however develop coincidently1 whereas   
the stigmas of the ,strawberry ripen    
long before the stamens1 and            
consequently self-fertilisation is far  
more common than is the case with the   
latter4  ,it must have been the         
quinately leaved ,p4 reptans which was  
formerly in favor as a heraldic device4 
,folkard says that the number of the    
leaves answered to the five senses of   
man4 ,the right to bear ,cinquefoil was 
considered an honourable distinction to 
him who had worthily conquered his      
affections and mastered his senses4     
,many species of ,potentilla are        
valuable garden plants1 from the little 
,alpine ,p4 nitida1 whose leaves shine  
more brilliantly than our ,silver weed1 

to the showy ,p4 atrosanguinea1 and the 
hybrid varieties derived from it1 which 
are the kinds usually seen in gardens4  
,among these hybrids are a number of    
single and double sorts1 nearly all of  
which possess good colour--mostly       
ranging from yellow to scarlet4  ,two   
other races of garden hybrids are of    
extreme importance in late summer1 the  
,pentstemons and ,phloxes1 the latter   
being among the most valuable of border 
plants4 ,in selecting varieties of      
either of these flowers one should be   
careful to avoid the very washy and     
hateful magentas and purples which are  
but too frequently seen4 ,the           
,pentstemons are worthy of greatly      
increased culture1 for they often       
continue to flower until the frosts of  
,november4  ,the great race of hybrid   
,gladioli derived from ,g4              
brenchleyensis and ,g4 gandavensis are  
now fashionable1 as they deserve4 ,the  
scarlet ,g4 brenchleyensis is itself    
very hardy and should be grown in       

quantity4  ,the hybrids require some    
care and should be planted in ,march at 
a depth of three inches and a distance  
of nine inches apart in deeply dug1     
rich1 well-drained soil1 free from fresh
 manure4 ,about the second week in      
,september1 before the foliage has died 
down1 the corms should be lifted and    
thoroughly dried off in a freely        
ventilated shed4  ,but most brilliant of
 all the flowers of ,august are the     
scarlet ,lobelias1 ,l4 cardinalis       
7described by ,parkinson71 and ,l4      
splendens with their varieties4 ,they   
are not very hardy1 but with a little   
protection during winter can be grown in
 most well-drained gardens4 ,moisture   
during summer is essential1 so that a   
slightly shaded position should be      
selected4     ,,the ,,garden ,,in       
,,autumn   ,it is the deciduous trees   
and shrubs which announce the arrival of
 autumn4 ,green leaves take on a        
colouring of yellow1 brown1 or red more 
pronounced than the yellows and reds of 

spring4 ,as the wind blows1 a few of the
 ripest leaves fall1 and one becomes    
conscious of a feeling of evening1 of   
the end of a play1 or of the end of a   
beautiful poem4 ,if it were but by these
 autumnal colourings1 and by the        
feelings which the fall of the leaf     
produces1 one would be well repaid for  
the planting and cultivating of trees   
and shrubs4  ,because the active life of
 these larger plants is over for a      
season1 however1 one need not imagine   
that the well managed garden is suddenly
 to become flowerless4 ,roses and       
,pentstemons1 ,potentillas and ,phloxes1
 ,sweet-,peas and ,nasturtiums1 and a   
host of other summer bloomers still     
remain and often continue to bear       
flowers till hard frost pulls down the  
curtain4 ,but it is not on summer       
flowers that we need rely1 for there are
 numerous beautiful hardy flowers       
peculiar to autumn itself4 ,dahlias1    
,rudbeckias1 ,sunflowers1 ,tritomas1    
,michaelmas ,daisies1 ,japanese         

,anemones1 ,fuchsias and ,chrysanthemums
 are those which immediately rise in the
 memory4  ,the common ,torch ,lily1 or  
,red-hot-,poker1 is almost the hardiest 
of the ,tritomas--or ,kniphofias1 as    
they are now called--and in a moderately
 light soil will live year after year   
with little or no attention4 ,often1 in 
neglected cottage gardens at about the  
end of ,august1 a group of these ,flame 
flowers1 burning red and glowing yellow1
 arrest the attention and cheer the     
landscape4 ,the variety known as grandis
 is even more effective1 often reaching 
a height of nine feet or even more4     
,the dark crimson ,kniphofia ,burchelli 
is valuable on account of its long      
blooming period1 as also is the orange  
and scarlet ,k4 ,saundersii1 but all the
 kinds are good1 though not all are     
distinct4 ,considering that it was      
introduced from the ,cape nearly two    
hundred years ago1 it is somewhat       
curious that the ,kniphofia is still    
comparatively a rare flower4  ,although 

it was mentioned by ,hernandez in his   
,history of ,mexico1 as long ago as     
#afea1 the ,dahlia was not introduced   
into this country until #aghi1 when     
,lady ,bute brought a plant from        
,madrid4 ,it is scarcely hardy in heavy 
soil or in the northern half of         
,england1 and it will generally be      
necessary to lift the roots in late     
autumn1 and1 having ripened them in a   
shed1 to store them for the winter in a 
cool dry place1 where the temperature   
will not fall below freezing point4 ,in 
the spring1 the separate tubers may be  
planted in deep rich soil2 or the roots 
may in ,february be placed in a hot bed1
 and as the young shoots which form are 
about three and a half inches long1 they
 may be separated together with a small 
piece of the tuber1 and potted in small 
pots which should be placed in the      
hot-bed until the young plants are ready
 to be planted out4 ,the old double     
kinds are much inferior to the single   
and cactus varieties4 ,dahlias compass a

 very wide range of colour1 and there   
are so many good sorts that each grower 
may well be left to select for himself4 
,in choosing ,cactus ,dahlias1 it is    
wise to select kinds in which the       
flowers stand out well beyond the       
foliage4  ,illustration3 ,,white ,,wood 
,,lilies  ,the vigorous ,sneezeweeds or 
,heleniums are among the easiest of all 
plants to grow1 and will exist on almost
 any soil4 ,like other hardy plants1    
however1 they pay for deep cultivation  
and manure4 ,they bear yellow composite 
flowers1 and grow to a height of five or
 six feet4 ,h4 autumnale is the most    
generally valuable4  ,the ,cone-flowers1
 or ,rudbeckias1 are also handsome      
,american plants1 the best being ,r4    
speciosus1 which bears orange flowers   
with dark yellow centres1 and is a very 
fine bloomer4  ,but even more useful and
 important than ,heleniums and          
,rudbeckias are the various perennial   
sunflowers1 of which ,helianthus        
multiflorus and ,h4 rigidus1 with their 

varieties1 are perhaps the best worth   
cultivating4  ,all these ,north         
,american composites are such very      
vigorous growers that they should not be
 placed in close proximity to small or  
delicate plants1 and it is              
advisable--except in quite wild         
places--to take them up every two years 
and divide the roots4  ,the ,michaelmas 
,daisies1 or tall-growing ,asters1 are  
steadily growing in favour coincidently 
with the growth of the popular taste4   
,deep cultivation1 moderately rich soil1
 and division every two or three years1 
are the conditions of their successful  
culture4 ,aster ericoides1 ,a4 amellus  
bessarabicus1 ,a4 acris1 ,a4 ,shortii   
and ,a4 vimineus are a few good kinds4  
,both the white and the rose-coloured   
varieties of ,anemone ,japonica should  
be grown1 and are of the easiest        
culture4 ,they may be rapidly increased 
by division1 and should be allowed to   
develop into bold clumps4 ,megasea      
cordifolia and the ,pampas ,grass are   

among the autumnal bloomers1 as also are
 the ,crocus-like ,colchicums1 the even 
more delicately coloured autumn         
,crocuses1 ,sedum spectabile1           
,sternbergia lutea1 the late-flowering  
,gladioli1 and the beautiful ,amaryllis 
,belladonna4  ,quite unlike all other   
autumn flowers--indeed unlike all other 
flowers--the ,japanese ,chrysanthemum   
gives us the latest display of brilliant
 colouring of the garden year4 ,for     
border decoration1 they may be treated  
much as other herbaceous plants and     
divided in the spring4 ,owing to the    
season at which they flower and the     
frequent occurrence of violent storms at
 that period1 it is desirable to grow   
,chrysanthemums against a wall or hedge4
 ,the varieties are infinite in number1 
so that when ordering plants for        
out-door use it is advisable to instruct
 the florist as to the purpose to which 
you intend to devote them4 ,a few very  
hardy kinds are ,madame ,c4 ,desgrange1 
,lady ,fitzwigram1 ,roi des ,prcoses1   

and ,ryecroft ,glory4  ,the autumn tints
 assumed by the leaves of many deciduous
 trees and shrubs are very interesting  
and beautiful4 ,of such1 the following  
short list may be of a little help3--   
,acer colchicum rubrum4   ,acer         
platanoides laciniatum4   ,acer         
,schwedleri4   ,azalea pontica4         
,amelanchier canadensis4   ,berberis    
,thunbergii4   ,cornus 7of sorts74      
,liriodendron4   ,parrotia persica4     
,rhus 7of sorts74   ,rubus 7of sorts74  
,spira ,thunbergii4   ,silver ,birch4   
,in one of his most suggestive essays1  
,john ,burroughs pointed out that in    
autumn the battles of the spring are    
fought over again4 ,but1 whereas in the 
spring it is the summer warmth which    
eventually1 in spite of many mishaps and
 reverses1 wins the victory1 in the     
autumnal ebb it is the cold which       
finally gains the day4 ,this constant   
strife between succeeding seasons at the
 points of meeting lies at the root of  
the peculiar charm of the ,english      

climate and of the ,english flora4  ,the
 following lists are borrowed from my   
,chronicle of a ,cornish ,garden3--  ,a 
,,few ,,good ,,tallest ,,border         
,,plants4    ,hollyhocks4               
,delphiniums4   ,ponies4   ,aconitum    
napellus4   ,aconitum autumnale4        
,rudbeckia maxima4   ,rudbeckia         
laciniata4   ,doronicum plantagineum    
excelsum4   ,digitalis4   ,tritomas4    
,campanula macrantha4   ,campanula      
pyramidalis4   ,galega officinalis alba4
   ,phlox 7in variety74   ,spira        
aruncus4   ,helianthus 7in variety74  ,a
 ,,few ,,good ,,tall ,,border ,,plants4 
,anemone japonica alba4   ,aquilegias   
7in variety74   ,papaver orientale4     
,iris germanica4   ,lilium candidum4    
,achillea ptarmica fl4 pl4   ,dicentra  
spectabilis4   ,scabiosa caucasica4     
,campanula persicifolia4   ,campanula   
latifolia alba4   ,campanula ,van       
,houttei4   ,campanula turbinata4       
,primula japonica4   ,coreopsis4        
,carnations4   ,helleborus niger4       

,helleborus orientale4   ,adonis        
vernalis4   ,alstroemeria4   ,erigeron  
speciosus4   ,montbretias4   ,gladioli4 
,pentstemons4   ,lobelia cardinalis4    
,asters4   ,chrysanthemums4   ,geum     
chiloense4   ,marguerites4  ,a ,,few    
,,good ,,dwarf ,,border-,,plants4       
,veronica prostrata4   ,veronica        
saxatilis4   ,veronica rupestris4       
,silene ,schafta4   ,silene acaulis4    
,silene alpestris4   ,campanula         
isophylla4   ,campanula pulla4          
,campanula turbinata4   ,anemone        
apennina4   ,anemone blanda4   ,anemone 
coronaria4   ,anemone fulgens4          
,anemone nemorosa4   ,dianthus alpina4  
,dianthus deltoides4   ,dianthus        
plumarius4   ,gentiana acaulis4         
,gentiana verna4   ,iberis coriaefolia4 
,iberis sempervirens4   ,phlox amna4    
,phlox subulata4   ,auricula 7alpine    
varieties74   ,cyclamen 7various74      
,viola pedata4   ,campanula carpatica4  
,campanula pumila4   ,campanula         
pelviformis4   ,hepatica 7various74     

,aubrietia 7various74   ,primula rosea4 
,primula vulgaris4   ,primula ,sieboldi4
   ,primula nivalis4   ,viola 7various1 
violas and pansies74   ,papaver         
nudicaule4   ,cistus 7various74         
,helianthenum 7various74   ,alyssum     
,fritillaria         ,crocus            
,galanthus           ,narcissus         
,tulipa              ,scilla            
,iris                ,leucojum          
,chionodoxa          ,eranthis hyemalis4
     ,,shelter ,,and ,,shade   ,there   
are many ways of growing hardy flowering
 plants1 and of growing them to         
advantage1 but all these different      
methods have certain fundamental        
conditions in common4 ,of these         
conditions the most important are the   
possession of a suitable site and the   
provision of suitable soil4 ,children   
are raised in slums and hovels1 and even
 in besieged and famine-stricken towns2 
and1 in like manner1 there is no site so
 bad1 no aspect so dull1 no air so vile1
 no soil so poor and shallow but plants 

may be found which will there exist4    
,but in order that we may grow any      
considerable variety of beautiful       
flowers we must screen our garden from  
bitter winds1 and so prepare our soil   
that it shall be adapted for vigorous   
plant growth4 ,wind-resisting screens   
may consist either of walls or of       
suitable trees and shrubs4 ,which of    
these forms of protection should be     
selected depends on circumstances which 
vary with different gardens4 ,in any    
event1 it will be generally agreed that 
a garden should be so enclosed          
7,hortus--an enclosed space7 as to      
afford not only shelter to plants from  
the more strenuous forces of ,nature1   
but also that privacy from the vulgar   
gaze which we call seclusion4 ,if the   
garden is to be enclosed by walls1 let  
these be of a fair height--not less than
 ten feet2 and let them be clothed with 
a variety of the lovely climbing plants 
now at the disposal of the gardener4    
,there is considerable room for choice  

both among deciduous and evergreen      
climbers4 ,among the best of the former 
section are the self-clinging           
,ampelopsis ,veitchii1 the blue and the 
white ,passion-flowers1 numerous        
varieties of ,clematis1 the             
winter-blooming ,jasminum nudiflorum1   
,wistaria1 ,honeysuckles1 ,bignonia     
radicans1 and many of the ,roses and    
,vines2 whilst against walls facing     
north we may grow ,tropolum speciosum1  
,clematis flammula1 the ,evergreen and  
,boursault ,roses and the ,virginian    
,creeper4 ,the ,evergreens mostly       
prosper with any aspect4 ,among the best
 are the various ,ivies and             
,cotoneasters and ,crataegus pyracantha4
  ,the trees and shrubs which may be    
used are numerous2 but for dense hedges 
perhaps the most useful are ,holly1     
,white ,thorn1 ,privet1 ,barberry1      
,laurel1 ,box and ,yew4 ,where possible1
 the straight line of a long clipped    
hedge may be broken by groups of shrubs 
planted within1 unless a formal garden  

effect be desired4 ,it is well to       
distinguish between the use of shrubs or
 trees as bounding fences or screens and
 their use as beautiful individual      
plants2 and1 when a dense screen is     
required1 to obtain it by means of      
suitable trees and a properly made and  
properly shorn hedge rather than by a   
thickly-planted and therefore           
overcrowded shrubbery4 ,whether it be   
trees or shrubs or climbing plants that 
we propose to plant1 the ground should  
be deeply trenched and well manured1 so 
that annual meddling about the roots may
 not be required4 ,whilst a certain     
proportion of evergreen shrubs1 such as 
the beautiful hollies and barberries1   
should be used1 it is undesirable to    
make too free a use of non-deciduous    
plants4 ,the ordinary overcrowded laurel
 and privet shrubbery is hideous and    
depressing4  ,trees and shrubs1 however1
 are useful not only for the shelter and
 seclusion which they yield1 but also   
for their delightful summer shade4 ,in  

one of his essays1 ,emerson quotes an   
,arabian poet's description of his      
hero3--      ,sunshine was he     ,in   
the winter day2     ,and in the         
midsummer     ,coolness and shade4      
,that is a beautiful description of a   
perfect friend1 but it might serve      
equally as a description of a perfect   
garden4 ,the flowers of ,july are       
infinite in their number and exquisite  
in their beauty1 yet1 if they are grown 
in a large1 tidy1 treeless1 shrubless   
garden1 they will yield but little      
pleasure4 ,a garden is not a place      
merely for the exhibition of floral     
wonders1 but a place wherein to rest1 to
 talk1 to read or to dream4 ,with the   
blazing sun of ,july beating on one's   
unshaded head1 dreaming1 resting1 and   
reading are equally uncomfortable and   
unprofitable4  ,a shade-giving tree is  
worth all the flowers of midsummer1     
though fortunately one is not called    
upon to sacrifice either4 ,trees and    
shrubs yield welcome shade1 but1 quite  

apart from this1 they help to throw up1 
and provide suitable backgrounds for1   
the dwarfer plants which make up the    
majority of our garden contents4 ,we    
have been too fond of cutting down      
trees1 and many a suburb has reason to  
regret the revision of the old forest   
law of ,king ,william3 ,gif the         
forestier or wiridier finds anie man    
without the principall wode1 but sit    
within the pale1 heueand dune ane aik   
tree1 he sould attack him4  ,according  
to our soil and site1 must we select the
 shrubs and trees which will be happiest
 under the conditions we can offer them4
 ,when we have ample space1 no trees can
 surpass in beauty our native deciduous 
trees1 such as the oak and hornbeam2 but
 it is from the smaller trees and larger
 shrubs that owners of more             
moderately-sized gardens must chiefly   
look for shade and backgrounds4 ,japan  
has given us many things of infinite    
value1 but few more precious than the   
white-flowering species of ,styrax4 ,the

 dense1 bright foliage1 the             
sweetly-scented1 snow-white bells1 and  
the general habit of the tree render    
,styrax obassia one of the most valuable
 constituents of a garden4 ,japan1 too1 
has given us a number of ,maples which  
afford a feast of colour unrivalled by  
any other group of trees in the world4  
,they are worth trying in any mild or   
protected situation1 though they should 
be planted on a small1 experimental     
scale at first as they do not thrive    
everywhere4 ,they seem to like partial  
shade and a north aspect4 ,those who    
have mild and weather-favoured          
situations may glory in the fragrant    
and--when well grown--handsome          
,magnolias1 though with these again     
success is not to be fore-counted a     
certainty4 ,but few are so badly placed 
but they may grow the ,lilacs1          
,laburnums1 ,hawthorns1 ,guelder ,roses1
 ,spiras1 ,dogwoods1 ,weeping ,birches1 
,weeping ,willows1 and ,flowering       
,currants4 ,as decorative as most1      

however1 and more useful than any1 of   
the shrubs and trees worth growing in a 
garden1 are the apples and pears1       
medlars and quinces1 plums and cherries 
whose flowers and fruits have always    
impressed the traveller as a beautiful  
feature of ,english landscape4  ,beneath
 the shade of deciduous trees there are 
many plants which will live healthy and 
flowery lives4 ,in the spring we have   
for such situations the great array of  
bulbs1 together with many of the        
,primroses1 ,sweet ,woodruff1           
,hepaticas1 ,hellebores1 ,fair maids of 
,france1 ,doronicums1 and other early   
bloomers2 and1 even when the trees are  
in full leaf1 we may enjoy1 if the soil 
be but properly prepared1 such pleasant 
flowers as those of the ,martagon ,lily 
and ,lilium speciosum1 ,campanulas1 both
 dwarf and tall1 ,foxgloves1 ,knotweeds1
 and ,columbines2 whilst ferns of many  
kinds1 together with several of the     
,saxifrages and ,megaseas1 and such     
plants as ,acanthus mollis and the      

herbaceous ,geranium1 all help to       
produce the pleasant effect which is    
yielded by the draping of the floor of  
coppice or of forest4 ,when the shade is
 so dense and the soil so poor that even
 these plants will not thrive1 we may   
fall back on ,ivy1 ,creeping ,jenny1 and
 ,periwinkle2 though1 where the soil is 
enriched with old leafmould and manure  
and properly dug1 no shade of trees is  
too dense for many of the ferns1 both   
deciduous and evergreen4     ,,soils    
,,and ,,their ,,preparation   ,many     
people imagine that in some mysterious  
fashion plants eat soil much as we eat  
beef-steak2 and that1 all soil being    
just soil1 one has but to make a hole in
 the ground and thrust the roots of a   
plant into it1 in order to make the     
desert bloom as the rose4 ,this idea is 
incorrect1 just as was the idea of a    
,devonshire farmer whom ,i once saw     
feeding his month-old baby with cheese  
and cider4 ,feed 'un on milk8 said he4  
,i'd zooner gee 'un zope-zuds4 ,let 'un 

'ave summat wi' zum strength in't4      
,soil is to plants not a source of food 
alone1 but is a suit of clothes1 a      
blanket and coverlet1 a cooking-range   
and a drawing-room fire4 ,it is a       
pied--terre in its most literal sense1  
and it is a cellar and tankard combined4
 ,to all the great and beautiful world  
of flowers1 the soil is indeed mother   
earth1 giving them warmth and           
nourishment in their infancy1 affording 
them a root-hold throughout their life1 
and offering them sanctuary for their   
bodies when their earthly life is done4 
,he who would grow beautiful flowers    
must therefore first study the soil from
 which he would raise them4 ,he must get
 to know it1 to learn its wants1 and    
learn also how he may best satisfy them4
 ,in time1 if he be indeed a lover of   
flowers1 he will grow also to love the  
earth and to understand it4 ,he will    
become one of those true and happy      
gardeners so beloved of the gods that   
every flower they lovingly plant is made

 to flourish and multiply4  ,first1     
then1 let us think of what this soil is 
made1 and of how it came into being4    
,look at the surface of any old         
stone-built church or house and you will
 see how every stone is partly covered  
by moss or lichen or other lowly plant4 
,these plants are growing in            
soil--formed by the slow action of rain 
and air on the surface of the walls4    
,similarly1 in the gradual pulverisation
 and decomposition of rocks1 has all    
soil taken its origin4 ,similarly also1 
as a rule1 have lowly plants been its   
first offspring1 the bodies of which    
have been afterwards incorporated with  
their mother soil4 ,by the further      
action of the weather1 coupled with the 
action of the accompaniments of the     
decomposition of these early plants1 the
 soil becomes deeper1 and becomes also  
furnished with dead vegetable matter1 or
 humus1 without which none of the higher
 and more developed plants are able to  
live4  ,according to the nature of the  

original rock1 and according also to the
 sort of natural weathering or watering 
to which it has been subjected1 so will 
the resultant soil be mainly sand or    
mainly clay1 or an equal mixture of the 
two4 ,mixed with these will usually be  
found a certain amount of little stones 
or gravel1 and a certain amount of dark 
coloured humus4 ,in a soil which is     
nearly all sand1 or in one which is     
nearly all clay1 few flowers will       
thrive1 but in what is called a loamy   
soil--that is1 one in which clay and    
sand are nearly equal--nearly all plants
 will grow and prosper if other         
conditions be favourable4 ,the presence 
of humus in the soil is important in    
many ways1 for not only does it contain 
much that is essential food for plant   
growth1 but also it assists the earth in
 retaining that moisture without which  
life is impossible4 ,by its chemical    
activity1 also1 it produces useful heat 
and liberates stores of food from the   
mineral soil itself4 ,therefore it is   

that we add dead leaves1 farmyard       
manure1 sea-weed and the like to our    
garden soil4 ,but1 though moisture is   
essential to the health of plants1 the  
presence of stagnant water is little    
less fatal than drought4 ,if we find    
that a hole dug in our gardens to the   
depth of two feet soon contains water   
not obtained from above1 we may usually 
assume that drainage is required4  ,if  
our soil be too light 7i4e4 sandy7 we   
may improve it by the addition of dried 
and powdered clay1 meal and organic     
manure1 from cowshed or stable2 if it be
 too heavy 7i4e4 containing an excess of
 clay7 we may make it more suitable for 
our garden use by mixing with it sand1  
ashes1 lime1 gritty road-scrapings1 or  
old mortar4  ,we all know how very much 
hotter in summer and colder in winter is
 a starched linen shirt than is one made
 of flannel or of some cellular         
open-woven fabric4 ,this is of course   
due to the fact that the former is the  
better conductor of heat4 ,in like      

manner1 a loose1 cellular1 open-woven1  
porous soil is a much worse conductor of
 heat than the caked and baked soil     
which we often see in ill-kept gardens4 
,the roots of plants like coolness in   
summer1 but in winter they desire all   
the warmth that they can obtain4 ,hence 
the desirability of always maintaining  
the surface of the ground to the depth  
of an inch or two in a loose open       
condition by means of the hoe4 ,this is 
of value also in checking evaporation1  
for1 by keeping the surface inch of soil
 loose and fine1 the capillary          
connection between the air and the      
deeper layers of soil is broken4        
,surface mulchings of litter1 moss1     
leaves or manure act in the same way as 
does the simpler mulch of hoed soil4 ,of
 course the process of top-dressing with
 leaves or farm-manure1 in order to add 
to the soil the food elements which they
 contain1 is quite a different matter1  
and cannot be replaced4  ,illustration3 
,,foxgloves  ,very few gardeners can be 

said to make anything approaching       
adequate use of the soil which they     
cultivate4 ,the majority of amateur     
gardeners1 and not a few professional   
ones1 never get their spade more than a 
foot or1 at the outside1 more than      
eighteen inches below the surface4 ,as a
 matter of fact1 all garden soil should 
be dug to a minimum depth of two feet1  
or preferably to a depth of three feet  
when possible4 ,in preparing a piece of 
ground for planting1 it should1         
therefore1 be trenched as deeply as     
possible1 preferably to a depth of three
 feet4  ,illustration3 ,diagram  ,this  
operation may be performed as follows3--
  ,let ,a ,b ,c ,d represent the piece  
of ground to be trenched4 ,measure off  
,a ,e1 ,e ,g1 ,g ,m1 ,d ,f1 ,f ,h1 and  
,n ,h1 each the distance of one foot4   
,stretch a line from ,e to ,f and notch 
the surface with a spade along this     
line4 ,proceed in the same way from ,g  
to ,h4 ,next dig the piece ,a ,e ,f ,d  
to a depth of one foot1 wheeling this   

surface soil to form a heap at ,b4 ,also
 dig to the same depth the piece ,e ,g  
,h ,f and add this soil to the heap at  
,b4 ,next remove the subsoil from the   
piece ,a ,e ,f ,d to the depth of       
another foot1 and wheel it to ,c4 ,the  
deeper subsoil in the piece ,a ,e ,f ,d 
should then be dug to a depth of another
 foot and left in its old position4 ,the
 subsoil from ,e ,g ,h ,f to the depth  
of a foot should now be placed with the 
spade on ,a ,e ,f ,d1 and the deep      
subsoil below it dug and left in situ4  
,a layer of farm-yard manure may next be
 placed on the ,a ,e ,f ,d1 and on this 
should be placed the top foot of soil   
from ,g ,m ,n ,h4 ,the subsoil from ,g  
,m ,n ,h should next be placed on ,e ,g 
,h ,f1 on this being placed a layer of  
manure covered in turn by fresh top     
soil4 ,in this the work should be       
proceeded with until the last two feet  
of the patch are reached4 ,the subsoil  
from ,i ,b ,c ,j is to be placed on the 
deep subsoil of ,k ,i ,j ,l1 on this a  

layer of manure covered by one half of  
the surface soil in the heap at ,b4 ,the
 heap of subsoil at ,c and the remainder
 of the surface soil at ,b are to be    
placed in the space ,i ,b ,c ,l4  ,this 
proceeding may strike the novice much as
 a problem of ,euclid strikes the       
mentally lazy1 but the importance of    
deep cultivation is so great that       
everyone who would be a successful      
gardener should thoroughly understand   
its practice4 ,by the method of         
trenching above described1 the three    
layers of earth called here soil1       
subsoil and deep subsoil are maintained 
in their respective orders of depth1 for
 nothing is more fatal than to bury the 
living earth of the surface below the   
reach of the roots of our plants1       
bringing to the surface in its place the
 barren subsoil devoid of humus and     
devoid of those living bacteria so      
essential to the fertility of the soil4 
,by proper and continuous cultivation1  
the actual living soil attains an ever  

increasing thickness1 so that in time   
the top two feet may be correctly       
described as surface soil and become    
freely interchangeable throughout its   
thickness4     ,,manures   ,the idyll of
 manures has been written by the ,dean  
of ,rochester1 who has placed on eternal
 record his devotion to ,sterculus1 the 
son of ,faunus1 whom he imaged as riding
 proudly1 pitch-fork 7agricultural      
trident7 in hand1 in his family chariot1
 the currus ,stercorosus 7,anglice1     
muck-cart74 ,as ,i can confess to no    
such love1 ,i will merely state the few 
facts which all plant-growers must bear 
in memory4  ,the great and safe manure  
for hardy flower culture is that of the 
stable or farm-yard1 which is so        
valuable1 not only for the actual food  
elements which itself contains1 but also
 for the mass of straw and other organic
 material which by its fermentation sets
 up chemical activity in the soil1 and  
so liberates a small continuous supply  
of the plant-foods therein contained4   

,this latter property is what gives much
 of its manurial value to the mixed     
rubbish of the ash-pit--containing as it
 generally does such waste organic      
matter as cabbage leaves1               
potato-peelings1 and bits of all kinds4 
,buried weeds1 leaves and garden refuse 
act in a precisely similar way4 ,these  
organic manures are1 moreover1 of the   
greatest service in keeping the soil    
open1 porous and friable1 in retaining  
water and so retaining also mineral     
plant-foods dissolved therein1 and in   
adding to the warmth of the soil both by
 engendering heat in the process of     
fermentation and by mechanically        
rendering the soil a worse conductor4   
,in the preliminary preparation of      
borders or beds1 provided the soil be   
well dug to a depth of two or three     
feet1 a really heavy dressing of        
farm-yard manure should be well         
incorporated--say about a ton to every  
two hundred square yards4 ,the manure   
should not be buried1 but should be     

intimately mixed with the whole depth of
 soil4 ,a light sandy soil will take a  
heavier1 and a heavy soil a lighter     
dressing than the average one suggested4
 ,the beds should be manured and        
otherwise prepared sometime before the  
planting is to take place1 as many      
plants and especially many bulbous      
plants cannot stand the proximity of    
fresh and rank manure4  ,when the ground
 is thus properly prepared at the start1
 little more actual cultivation is      
needed in the case of most hardy        
herbaceous plants beyond annual top     
dressing with manure1 occasional        
loosening of the surface soil where not 
covered by dwarf plants1 weeding1 and   
occasional thinning or division of big  
clumps4 ,whenever a plant is taken up1  
the opportunity should be seized to add 
a fork-load of rotten manure to the spot
 vacated4 ,top dressings should as far  
as possible be placed round plants in   
early spring1 just before new growth    
starts1 as the manure is then soon      

covered and concealed by foliage4  ,bone
 meal1 finely-broken bones1 small       
quantities of guano1 and even           
carefully-applied nitrate of soda       
7half-an-ounce to the square yard7 have 
their respective values1 but the novice 
will be wise in placing reliance on     
farm-yard manure for the bulk of his    
plants4     ,,seed-,,sowing ,,and       
,,transplanting   ,the gardening        
beginner will be well advised to obtain 
the greater number of his perennials as 
plants2 but there are some which are    
easily grown from seeds1 and seed-sowing
 is the method by which all the hardy   
annuals and biennials are to be raised4 
,in the case of annual and biennial     
plants1 such as sweet-peas1 mignonette1 
nasturtiums1 convolvuluses1 nigellas1   
and the rest1 the seed may well be sown 
in the open borders or beds1 if the soil
 be but well dug and finely divided4 ,it
 is advisable1 however1 to mix a little 
sand and leafmould with the soil1 and to
 give the seed-bed a good watering on   

the night previous to sowing the seeds1 
if the soil be otherwise dry4 ,at the   
same time it is necessary to avoid      
sowing when the ground is sticky after  
or during heavy rain4 ,the seed having  
been sown in finely-pulverised soil     
which is neither too wet nor too dry1 it
 is a good practice to press the        
seed-bed1 either by the use of a roller1
 or by patting it with the flat of a    
spade4 ,this tends to promote the flow  
of a continuous supply of moisture from 
the deeper parts to the surface of the  
soil by means of capillary attraction4  
,as1 however1 this proceeding also      
promotes a continuous loss of           
soil-moisture by evaporation1 the       
surface should be loosened by hoe or    
rake as soon as the young plants        
appear--indeed1 in the case of the more 
deeply-buried seeds1 such as sweet-peas1
 the surface should be slightly         
disturbed as soon as the sowing and     
pressing have been performed4 ,in dry   
weather1 evaporation from the seed-bed  

may be checked by shading it with a     
screen placed about two feet above the  
surface4  ,as to the depth at which seed
 should be sown1 much depends on the    
variety1 as also on the nature of the   
soil and the season of the year2 but it 
may be taken as a general rule that     
small seeds should be covered by a depth
 of soil about equal to their thickness1
 whilst seeds such as sweet peas should 
be sown two inches deep4 ,the soil must 
not be allowed to become quite dry1 but 
great care is to be taken in watering1  
which should be done1 when necessary1   
with a watering-pot provided with a very
 fine rose4 ,those perennials1 such as  
the columbines1 campanulas1 poppies1 and
 primroses1 which are easily to be      
raised from seed1 may be sown in open   
beds1 but1 as they are somewhat slower  
in germinating1 it will usually be found
 more satisfactory to sow them in       
shallow earthenware pans containing a   
mixture of loam1 sand and leaf-mould4   
,the soil in the pans can best be kept  

moist by occasionally dipping the       
seed-pan in a vessel of water1 being    
very careful not to lower it so that the
 surface of the soil is below the       
surface of the water4 ,a sheet of glass 
may be placed as a cover to the seed-pan
 until germination takes place2 but1 in 
order to check evaporation from the     
surface1 care should be taken not to    
damp off the young seedlings through    
excessive moisture and insufficient air4
  ,there is one great rule to be borne  
in mind in sowing all kinds of seed1 and
 that rule1 printed in largest type1    
should be placed wherever gardeners are 
to be found3--,,sow ,,thinly4 ,do not   
rely too much on subsequent thinning    
out1 but allow space for development    
from the first1 for at no stage of its  
career should a young plant be pressed  
upon by its neighbour4 ,a knowledge of  
the size and habit of the mature plant  
is therefore necessary in order to      
estimate the requisite space between the
 seeds4 ,it must1 however1 be remembered

 that a certain proportion of seeds will
 fail to germinate1 and that a certain  
proportion of seedlings will fall       
victims to disease and snails4 ,in the  
case of plants which are intended to be 
transplanted from the seed-bed or       
seed-pan1 it is of course the size of   
the seedlings at the transplanting stage
 which has to be borne in mind in       
judging of the correct distance between 
the seeds4 ,but it is a point which     
cannot be too often drubbed into young  
gardeners--and old ones too for that    
matter--that one well-grown plant is    
better than twenty badly grown ones4    
,also it should ever be remembered that 
a plant starved in infancy suffers for  
it throughout its career4  ,seeds of    
hardy plants may be sown at almost any  
time during spring1 summer1 or autumn1  
provided that due attention be given in 
the matter of watering1 preparation of  
the soil and the like4 ,most of the     
biennials and perennials may with       
advantage be sown in ,june and          

transplanted to their flowering quarters
 in ,september4 ,annuals intended to    
bloom in the summer or autumn should be 
sown in ,march1 ,april and ,may2 whilst 
those intended to flower in the         
following year should be sown in ,august
 and ,september4  ,most plants may be   
transplanted at any season of the year  
if the operation be properly performed4 
,a dull day or an evening should be     
selected1 and a ball of earth should if 
possible be removed attached to the     
roots4 ,the ground into which the plant 
is to be removed1 should be well and    
deeply dug1 and a deep and capacious    
hole be made with a trowel or dibbler4  
,into this the plant is to be carefully 
placed1 its roots being well spread out 
and well settled by means of water4 ,for
 a day or two after being moved1 it     
should be shaded from the hot sun1 and  
for the first few evenings should be    
liberally watered4  ,illustration3      
,,shirley ,,poppies     ,,layers ,,and  
,,cuttings   ,the division of the       

rootstock is a method of propagation    
applicable to the majority of perennial 
plants4 ,in the case of most corms and  
bulbs1 it is necessary1 in order to     
increase the supply1 to separate the    
young bulbels or cormels and to plant   
them out in a nursery bed until they    
develop to a useful flowering size4 ,but
 in the division of the rootstocks of   
herbaceous plants a certain amount of   
violence is usually required1 and a     
strong knife1 a cold chisel and a mallet
 will be found useful tools4 ,each      
plant1 if it is to develop into a new   
plant1 must include at least one eye or 
bud and must usually also be provided   
with a supply of rootlets4  ,many plants
 may be propagated by the process known 
as layering1 which essentially consists 
in pegging down a shoot to the ground by
 means of a little crotchet stick1      
having notched with a sharp knife half  
way through a joint at the point where  
the shoot touches the soil1 and covering
 the pegged down part of the shoot with 

a few inches of good gritty loam4 ,in a 
little while1 roots will form at the    
point of section and the shoot can be   
separated from its parent as an         
independent plant4 ,the ,carnation is   
usually propagated in this way1 the     
layering being performed in ,july and   
the young plants being separated a few  
months later4 ,roses may be pegged down 
and layered in a somewhat similar way1  
but in their case it is the middle of a 
branch and not its base which is cut and
 pegged beneath the soil4  ,another     
method by which many plants can be      
increased is that of cuttage4 ,this is  
the method usually employed by growers  
of chrysanthemums1 pansies1 and certain 
other plants4 ,to effect this1 a cut    
should be made in a slanting direction  
through the stem to be severed1 just    
below a joint4 ,as a rule cuttings of   
herbaceous plants should be made in the 
spring4 ,some cuttings will root readily
 in light soil in the open air if a     
shady position be selected1 but usually 

it will be found to be desirable to     
plant the cuttings in pots of sandy loam
 and to place in a hot bed1 shading from
 the sun until they are rooted4         
,,weeds   ,let the painfull ,gardiner   
expresse never so much care and diligent
 endeavour2 yet among the very fairest1 
sweetest1 and freshest ,flowers1 as also
 ,plants of most precious ,vertue2 ill  
savouring and stinking ,weeds1 fit for  
no use but the fire or mucke-hill1 will 
spring and sprout up4 ,so wrote         
,boccaccio nearly six hundred years ago1
 and the truth of his observation has   
not lost its savour in spite of the     
centuries--though ,i1 for one1 should be
 sorry to apply to any plant of my      
acquaintance the adjectives of abuse    
which ,boccaccio so naturally uses4  ,of
 course one tries1 and must ever try1 to
 keep the garden free from weeds1 but it
 is a matter for congratulation that we 
can never entirely succeed4 ,probably   
the earliest gardening memories of most 
of us are associated either with weeds1 

or with that branch of gardening usually
 first delegated to children--the       
operation of weeding4 ,a great deal of  
the pleasure of growing flowers is      
undoubtedly due to the difficulties     
which one has to combat1 and gardening  
with no weeds to worry us1 with no      
snails1 slugs1 or green fly for us to   
fight1 would be about as insipid an     
occupation as that known among the      
provincial middle-class as paying calls4
 ,what beauty there is in these much    
despised weeds6 ,few wall plants1 for   
instance1 surpass in general usefulness 
the little ,ivy-leaved ,toad-flax       
7,linaria ,cymbalaria71 which bears its 
dainty purple snapdragon-like flowers   
nearly the year through4 ,it is a tidy  
little plant1 too1 for1 as soon as its  
flowers have been fertilised and are    
beginning to fade1 it bends them aside  
so that the seed vessels may rest in    
some suitable crevice where the ripened 
seed may safely be born4 ,the flowers   
which stand out from the plant1         

therefore1 always look fresh and        
attractive4  ,not everyone can grow the 
,gentians1 but certainly everyone can   
grow--though not all of us can          
exterminate--those beautiful ,veronicas1
 the ,germander ,speedwell and the      
,field ,speedwell1 with their brightest 
of blue flowers4 ,merely to name the    
dandelion1 daisy1 plantain1 convolvulus1
 dock1 pheasant's eye1 and even the     
groundsel1 is to remind ourselves of the
 great beauty which our garden weeds    
possess1 and of the essential place     
which they occupy in the mental picture 
of a homely garden4 ,yet is there one   
weed--or good plant in the wrong place1 
as a weed has been well defined--more   
prevalent than all others1 hardier than 
most1 and as beautiful as any4 ,no      
garden1 no road1 no wall or fence even1 
but grass does its best to drape and to 
beautify it4 ,and if gardening has made 
men blind to the beauty of the grass    
leaf1 so blind that they needs must roll
 and cut it for appearance's sake1 then 

is gardening to be ranked with that     
spirit of vestrydom1 of which ,mrs      
,meynell says such true1 sarcastic      
things4 ,but gardening need have no such
 tendency4 ,rather should it tend to    
make its devotees observant and admiring
 where plant beauty is concerned4       
,still1 with weeds1 be they ever so     
beautiful1 ever so interesting1 must the
 gardener wage eternal war4 ,nature1    
like the artist she is1 abhors bare     
earth as much as she abhors a vacuum1   
and1 where she sees a piece of ground   
uncovered1 there she sows her seeds or  
projects her roots4 ,one of the best    
ways of keeping weeds within bounds1    
therefore1 is to have as little earth as
 possible uncovered by plants1 for then 
weeds have small chance of entry and    
smaller chance of development4 ,there is
 a hackneyed saying to the effect that  
one year's seeding means seven years'   
weeding1 and there is wisdom in it2 but 
rare indeed must be the gardens where in
 some odd corner weeds do not succeed   

each year in ripening and scattering    
their seeds4 ,as soon as a weed is seen1
 it should be pulled up1 or ,dutch-hoed 
off1 and1 if it have not a perennial    
root1 straightway buried in the garden  
or used as a mulch round shrubs or      
herbaceous plants4 ,in addition to its  
primary object1 the mere pulling up of  
weeds1 or hoeing off their heads1 is of 
the utmost value in loosening the       
surface of the ground1 and so checking  
evaporation and the conduction of heat4 
,in fighting with weeds1 garden flowers 
will be much assisted by deep           
cultivation1 rich soil1 and a provision 
of those general conditions which       
conduce to their health and vigour4 ,as 
a rule the annual weeds are kept under  
with comparative ease1 it usually being 
the perennials with spreading roots     
which give the real trouble4 ,in        
preparing a piece of ground1 every piece
 of such root--be it of couch grass1    
bindweed1 or what not--should be picked 
out and burnt4 ,then1 if1 through       

several seasons1 every shoot of         
perennial weed be pulled off directly it
 is seen1 they will eventually be       
subdued or even vanquished4 ,for weedy  
paths1 it is no longer necessary to     
spend hours or days in hand-weeding with
 basket and knife--historically         
interesting though that practice is4    
,all that is now required is to water   
the paths1 when dry1 with a solution    
made by boiling five ounces of powdered 
arsenic in a gallon of water1 stirring  
the while1 and then adding two gallons  
of cold water1 and half a pound of soda4
  ,such is the fate of the man who would
 be a gardener4 ,he must wage constant  
battle with flowers whose beauty he can 
but acknowledge4 ,he must be full of    
zeal for the murder of plants he is     
bound to love and admire4 ,it is a      
little like hitting a woman2 and1 when  
one sees the weed1 which has been       
violently hurled from bed and border1   
patiently trying to live its humble life
 on wall or rubbish-heap1 smiling as    

sweetly as it may on the owner of the   
soil1 one is reminded of that           
pathetic--even if fictitious--story of  
the vivisector's dog4     ,,insect ,,and
 ,,other ,,pests   ,vigorously growing  
plants are far less liable than are     
feeble ones to the attacks of the       
various living enemies which the        
gardener is called upon to combat4      
,therefore the most important item in   
the suppression of insect or fungoid    
pests is careful and correct culture4   
,but1 even in the best kept gardens1    
green-fly and earwig1 slugs1 snails and 
wireworms will appear1 and must be dealt
 with by repressive as well as by       
preventive measures4  ,the green-fly1   
which is sometimes such a trouble to our
 roses and fruits1 should be treated    
with vigorous and repeated syringing or 
hosing with water4 ,if this is found to 
be inadequate1 the affected plants may  
be washed with tobacco water 7made by   
pouring half a gallon of boiling water  
on an ounce each of soft soap and shag  

tobacco1 and allowing the strained      
infusion to cool71 or with an emulsion  
made by stirring well together half a   
pint of petroleum oil1 two ounces of    
hard soap1 and a quart of nearly boiling
 water1 afterwards adding half a gallon 
of cold water1 and thoroughly mixing4   
,this last application should always be 
applied in the evening4  ,wireworms1    
which are such a foe of the carnation   
grower1 may usually be destroyed by     
spreading gas-lime at the rate of two   
pounds per square yard over the         
unoccupied soil in the fall1 ploughing  
or digging it into the ground a month or
 two later4 ,if this is impracticable1  
the wireworms may often be trapped by   
burying pieces of potato at intervals1  
removing them every few days4  ,for     
destroying the fungus of mildew nothing 
is more effective than sulphur mixed    
with soft soap and water in the         
proportion of one ounce of sulphur and  
four ounces of soap to four gallons of  
hot water4  ,earwigs1 which so often    

spoil the ,dahlia blooms1 may be trapped
 by crumpling a newspaper and placing it
 among the plants1 or by filling a      
flower-pot with moss and inverting it   
over a stake--in either case examining  
the traps daily and destroying the      
victims4  ,snails and slugs should be   
caught at night and killed by placing   
them in a bucket and covering them with 
salt4 ,they may be trapped by placing   
cabbage or lettuce leaves at intervals  
about the garden1 examining beneath them
 each morning2 or they may sometimes be 
destroyed by watering the plants which  
they frequent with lime-water 7made by  
adding a gallon of water to a quarter   
pound of freshly burnt lime1 and        
straining74  ,birds are sometimes       
harmful1 but on the whole they do more  
good than harm in a garden1 and ,i am   
inclined to agree with an old gardener1 
who1 having caught a blackbird among the
 gooseberries1 was asked by his master  
what he had done with it4 ,oh1 he       
replied1 ,i just gave 'im a warning and 

let 'im go4     ,,points   #a4 ,grow no 
plant which does not strike you as      
either beautiful or interesting4  #b4   
,learn the requirements of every plant  
as far as possible before ordering it1  
and have everything ready before its    
arrival4  #c4 ,do not overcrowd1 but    
allow every plant to develop and display
 its own form of beauty4 ,on the other  
hand1 show as little bare earth as      
possible at every season of the year4   
#d4 ,have few beds and many and wide    
borders4 ,it will often1 however1 be    
found convenient to grow in beds such   
flowers as ,carnations1 which require to
 be frequently replanted1 and which will
 not tolerate the competition of other  
plants2 but even with ,carnations may be
 planted many bulbs1 such as ,crocuses1 
,tulips1 ,spanish ,irises and ,gladioli4
 ,in any case1 aim at being a           
four-season gardener1 and make your     
garden interesting in every part the    
year through4  #e4 ,the borders should  
generally be wide--where there is ample 

space not less than nine to twelve feet4
 ,they should be backed by a            
plant-covered trellis or wall1 or by    
flowering and evergreen shrubs4  #f4    
,cultivate the soil to a depth of two or
 three feet in the manner described in  
this book1 and in dry weather supply    
abundance of water1 and keep the surface
 mulched either with moss or manure1 or 
with loose soil4  #g4 ,in arranging     
mixed borders1 avoid dottiness1         
preferring rather to plant bold clumps  
or masses of individual species4 ,let   
the surface of the soil be carpeted by  
low-growing1 surface-rooting plants1    
such as the dwarf ,campanulas1          
,aubrietias1 ,arenarias1 ,silene        
acaulis1 ,s4 alpestre1 ,linaria alpina1 
,veronica saxatilis and the like4 ,let  
the taller growing plants be mostly     
towards the back of the border1 and the 
smaller plants mostly near the front1   
but avoid primness by allowing an       
occasional clump of tall plants         
7especially those1 such as ,gladioli and

 ,lilies1 which need special care7 to   
break the front margin1 and by letting  
the dwarfer carpeting plants spread     
towards the back of the border4  #h4    
,keep in a shed or in a corner of the   
garden a compost heap composed of two   
parts sand1 one part fibrous loam 7such 
as the top spit of meadow land71 one    
part of two-year-old leaf mould1 and one
 part of two-year-old stable manure4    
,whenever one is transplanting a        
herbaceous or other plant1 it will be   
found very helpful to cover the roots   
with a few inches of this soil4 ,mixed  
with an equal quantity of sand it will  
also be useful to place round bulbs when
 planting them4  #i4 ,when planting1    
always dig a hole sufficiently large and
 deep to contain the roots well spread  
out4 ,place the plant in position1 cover
 the roots with a few inches of the     
compost just named1 and give a bucketful
 of water to settle the earth4 ,then    
fill up the hole with ordinary soil1    
firmly pressing with the foot if        

necessary1 though the liberally watering
 often does away with the need4 ,in any 
case the surface should be ruffled up   
into a state of looseness in order to   
check evaporation4  #aj4 ,keep a special
 garden notebook in which to note things
 which want correcting or developing4   
,if not noted when recognised1 they are 
likely to be forgotten when the season  
for making the change comes round4 ,also
 note any good plants or good effects   
which you may see in the gardens of     
others4  #aa4 ,buy your seeds of the    
best seedsmen1 regardless of price4 ,buy
 your plants from the best nurseries1   
even though they may be listed a little 
cheaper elsewhere4  #ab4 ,do not be     
content merely to copy the arrangements1
 groupings and such which you may see   
suggested in books or practised by your 
friends4 ,study books1 study gardens1   
and study wild nature1 but use your own 
brains4  #ac4 ,make1 or remake1 one     
border every year4 ,you will thus always
 have sufficient surprise to afford     

spice or seasoning to the settled part  
of your garden4  #ad4 ,it is            
interesting1 in addition to cultivating 
a large variety of flowers1 to grow one 
flower or one race of flowers as a      
specialty4          99       99       99
       99       99     ,,the most       
satisfactory ,plants for the ,garden1   
and amongst ,,the ,,most ,,beautiful are
 the following improved varieties of    
,,hardy ,,perennials  ,,cultivated ,,by 
,,kelway  ,,son  ,,the ,,royal          
,,horticulturists  ,,langport1          
,,somerset   ,,kelway',s ,p,,onies      
,collection ,d--#dbs4 per dozen2 #ej for
 #g #gs4  ,,kelway',s ,,delphiniums     
,collection ,d--#dbs4 per dozen2 #ej for
 #g #gs4  ,,kelway',s ,,gaillardias     
,collection ,c--#ahs4 per dozen2 #ajj   
for #f #fs4  ,,kelway',s ,,pyrethrums   
,collection ,c--#bas4 per dozen2 #ajj   
for #g #gs4   ,nearly all the best new  
varieties of the above-mentioned        
important families ,,originated in the  
,langport ,nurseries4  ,more            

,certificates and ,awards of ,merit for 
improved varieties of ,hardy ,plants    
have been awarded by the ,r4,h4,s4 to   
,,kelway  ,,son than to any firm4       
,,kelway',s ,,manual ,,of ,,horticulture
 for #aija1 by far the best             
,horticultural ,catalogue and ,guide    
published1 will be sent post free for   
#as4 #f;d4 ,it contains interesting     
particulars of all the best ,hardy      
,herbaceous ,plants1 c41 and of         
,,kelway',s ,,artistic ,,borders        
7registered74  #acc ,,gold ,,and        
,,silver ,,medals--,london1 ,paris1     
,chicago1 c4   ,,kelway  ,,son1         
,,langport1 ,,somerset     ,handbooks of
 ,practical ,gardening  ,under the      
,general ,editorship of  ,,harry        
,,roberts  ,crown #hvo4 ,illustrated4   
,cloth4 #bs4 #f;d4 net4     ,vol4       
,i4--,,the ,,book ,,of ,,asparagus4     
,with sections also on ,celery1         
,salsify1 ,scorzonera1 and ,seakale4 ,by
 ,,charles ,,ilott1 ,f4,r4,h4,s41       
,lecturer on ,horticulture to the       

,cornwall ,county ,council4 ,together   
with chapters on the ,history1          
,decorative ,uses1 and ,cookery of these
     ,vegetables1 by the ,editor4       
,the ,pilot--,every point is carefully  
dealt with1 and the book     should     
prove extremely useful to scientific    
gardeners4    ,the ,daily ,mail--,the   
admirable chapter contributed by ,dr    
,harry     ,roberts on the ,cookery of  
,asparagus4    ,the ,speaker--,the work 
of a specialist4 ,mr ,ilott gives       
us--for a     matter of                 
half-a-crown--the ripe experience of a  
life-time well     illustrated4    ,the 
,gardeners' ,chronicle--,the author is  
eminently qualified for     the task he 
has undertaken4444 ,in a careful1       
thorough manner     the cultivator is   
instructed in every operation involved  
in the     cultivation of the plant4    
,gardening ,illustrated--,the author has
 handled his subject in a     thoroughly
 practical manner1 and is to be         
congratulated on having     compressed  

so much valuable matter into so small a 
compass4    ,the ,scotsman--,most       
serviceable4444 ,the letterpress is     
beautifully     and usefully            
illustrated1 while the get-up of the    
book generally is     very tasteful4    
,the ,world--,this very useful series   
should by no means be missed     from   
the library of the sincere gardener4    
,the ,daily ,chronicle--,,the ,,book4   
,the ,morning ,post--,particularly sound
 advice4444 ,the information            
throughout is treated in a simple and   
intelligible manner4    ,the            
,garden--,very plain and practical4     
,many useful illustrations     from     
photographs and sketches are dispersed  
throughout the book4     ,the best kinds
 of ,asparagus for decorative purposes  
are described     by ,dr ,roberts1 who  
gives also many interesting details     
concerning     the history and cookery  
of these vegetables4 ,altogether a very 
readable book4     ,,john ,,lane3       
,,london3 ,,vigo ,,street1 ,w4          

,,new ,,york3 #fg ,,fifth ,,avenue4     
,handbooks of ,practical                
,gardening--,continued4     ,vol4       
,,ii4--,,the ,,book ,,of ,,the          
,,greenhouse4 ,with a special chapter on
 the     little ,town ,greenhouse4 ,by  
,j4 ,c4 ,,tallack1 ,f4,r4,h4,s41 ,head  
,gardener     at ,shipley ,hall4        
,vol4 ,,iii4--,,the ,,book ,,of ,,the   
,,grape4 ,by ,h4 ,w4 ,,ward1            
,f4,r4,h4,s41 for #be     years ,head   
,gardener at ,longford ,castle1 ,author 
of ,my ,gardener4    ,vol4 ,,iv4--,,the 
,,book ,,of ,,old-,,fashioned ,,flowers4
 ,by ,,harry ,,roberts1 author     of   
,the ,chronicle of a ,cornish ,garden4  
,vol4 ,v4--,,the ,,book ,,of ,,bulbs4   
,by ,s4 ,,arnott1 of ,carsethorne1 near 
,dumfries4    ,vol4 ,,vi4--,,the ,,book 
,,of ,,the ,,apple4 ,by ,h4 ,h4         
,,thomas1 ,assistant ,editor     of ,the
 ,garden1 late of the ,royal ,gardens1  
,windsor4 ,together with     chapters by
 the ,editor on the ,history and        
,cooking of the ,apple and     the      

,preparation of ,cider4    ,vol4        
,,vii4--,,the ,,book ,,of ,,climbing    
,,plants4 ,by ,g4 ,h4 ,,woolaston1      
,m4,a41     ,f4,g4,s4     ,,john ,,lane3
  ,,london3 ,,vigo ,,street1 ,w4        
,,new ,,york3 #fg ,,fifth ,,avenue4     
,,an ,,ideal ,,garden ,,book   ,the     
,chronicle of a ,cornish ,garden  ,,by  
,,harry ,,roberts  ,with ,seven         
,illustrations of an ,ideal ,garden by  
,f4 ,l4 ,b4 ,,griggs  ,crown #hvo4      
,cloth4 #es4 net   ,the ,outlook--,a    
pleasant and instructive account of the 
manner in which ,mr ,roberts transformed
 a ,cornish ,wilderness into a garden   
fair4 ,he is particular to give the     
exact names of the plants employed4     
,this will be found of great assistance 
to any one who undertakes a similarly   
enchanting but difficult task4444       
,gossipy1 instructive2 prettily         
illustrated4  ,the ,bookman--,we have   
awakened to the charms of garden        
literature during the last few years1   
and this volume1 telling of the gradual 

beautifying of a neglected1 overgrown   
plot1 deserves the attention of our new 
enthusiasm4 ,it is written with grace   
and knowledge1 and will please as well  
as teach4  ,the ,spectator--,mr         
,roberts' experiences will be found     
useful4 ,useful or no1 they are         
pleasantly told4 ,a brief preface tells 
us where and how he set to work1 and    
then he takes us through the months from
 ,january1 and shows us each garlanded  
with her peculiar flower or flowers4    
,the ,gentlewoman--,dr ,harry ,roberts  
carries us to a particular corner of the
 kingdom in ',the ,chronicle of a       
,cornish ,garden1' a book penned with   
much charm by a genuine nature-lover4   
,the ,daily ,mail--,his book shows that 
he possesses not only extensive garden  
lore1 but also a rarer quality1         
considerable literary style1 and other  
books from his pen will be welcomed4    
,the ,manchester ,guardian--,pleasantly 
written1 and practical without being    
tedious4444 ,the illustrations by ,mr   

,griggs of an ideal garden are in good  
taste and suggest a quiet1 old-world    
pleasance4  ,the ,scotsman--,these      
papers are not only well founded in     
knowledge and observation1 but also well
 written1 and such as gardeners will    
take a pleasure in going over4  ,the    
,pilot--,mr ,roberts' knowledge of      
botany is another merit of his work4    
,the interest arising from learning the 
secrets of the plants adds considerably 
to the pleasures of a garden4 ,the book 
certainly should be included in the     
excellent list of garden literature     
which ,mr ,roberts gives at the end of  
his book4     ,,john ,,lane3  ,,london3 
,,vigo ,,street1 ,w4               ,,new
 ,,york3 #fg ,,fifth ,,avenue4          
,,books ,,about ,,gardens     ,seven    
,gardens and a ,palace4 ,by ,e4 ,v4 ,b41
 ,author of ,days and ,hours     in a   
,garden4 ,illustrated by ,f4 ,l4 ,b4    
,,griggs and ,,arthur ,,gordon4         
,crown #hvo4 ,price #es4 net4 ,third    
,edition4    ,the ,chronicle of a       

,cornish ,garden4 ,by ,,harry ,,roberts4
 ,with ,seven ideal     ,illustrations  
by ,f4 ,l4 ,b4 ,,griggs4 ,crown #hvo4   
,price #es4 net4    ,of ,gardens3 ,an   
,essay4 ,by ,,francis ,,bacon4 ,with an 
,introduction by ,,helen     ,,milman   
and a ,cover-design and ,frontispiece by
 ,,edmund ,h4 ,,new4 ,demy     #afmo4   
,price #bs4 #f;d net4    ,a ,garden in  
the ,suburbs4 ,by ,mrs ,,leslie         
,,williams4 ,with ,eight                
,illustrations4 ,crown #hvo4 ,price #es4
 net4    ,stray ,leaves from a ,border  
,garden4 ,by ,mrs ,,milne-,,home4 ,with 
,eight     ,illustrations by ,f4 ,l4 ,b4
 ,,griggs4 ,crown #hvo4 ,price #fs4 net4
    ,my ,vicarage ,garden4 ,by ,canon   
,,ellacombe1 ,author of ,in a           
,gloucestershire ,garden1 c4 ,with      
,illustrations by ,f4 ,l4 ,b4 ,,griggs4 
,crown #hvo4 ,price #es4 net4 ,in       
preparation4     ,,john ,,lane3         
,,london3 ,,vigo ,,street1 ,w4          
,,new ,,york3 #fg ,,fifth ,,avenue4     
,,books ,,about ,,gardens     ,in the   

,garden of ,peace4 ,by ,,helen ,,milman 
7,mrs ,caldwell ,crofton74 ,with     #bd
 ,illustrations and ,cover-design by    
,,edmund ,h4 ,,new4 ,crown #hvo4        
,price #es4 net4 ,third ,edition4       
,sincerity is the note of the whole     
book4 7,globe47     ,outside the        
,garden4 ,by ,,helen ,,milman 7,mrs     
,caldwell ,crofton74 ,with #bd          
,illustrations and ,cover-design by     
,,edmund ,h4 ,,new4 ,crown #hvo4 ,price 
#es4 net4   ',outside the ,garden' fully
 maintains ,mrs ,crofton's reputation as
 one  of ,nature's keenest observers4   
7,daily ,chronicle47     ,my ,roses and 
,how ,i ,grew ,them4 ,by ,,helen        
,,milman 7,mrs ,caldwell ,crofton74     
,with a ,cover-design by ,,edmund ,h4   
,,new4 ,crown #hvo4 ,price #as4 #f;d4   
net4     ,third ,edition4   ,pleasantly 
written4444 ,the book is such that a    
novice might  implicitly follow1 while  
the more experienced may find useful    
hints4  7,garden47     ,flowers and     
,gardens4 ,by ,,forbes ,,watson4 ,with  

,photogravure ,portrait of     the      
,author4 ,edited1 with a ,biographical  
,note by ,canon ,,ellacombe4     ,crown 
#hvo4 ,price #es4 net4 ,new ,edition4   
,garden-,craft ,old and ,new4 ,by ,,john
 ,d4 ,,sedding4 ,with a ,memorial       
,notice     by the ,rev4 ,e4 ,f4        
,,russell1 and nine full-page           
,illustrations4 ,gilt     top4 ,demy    
#hvo4 ,price #gs4 #f;d4 net4 ,new       
,edition4     ,the ,birds of ,my        
,parish4 ,by ,e4 ,h4 ,,pollard4 ,with   
,collotype     ,illustrations4 ,crown   
#hvo4 ,price #es4 net4   ,evelyn        
,pollard has a very delightful style of 
writing1 and the story  of the ,birds of
 her ,parish is charming4 7,shooting    
,times47   ,,order ,,from ,,your        
,,bookseller     ,,books ,,for ,,country
 ,,houses     ,the ,natural ,history of 
,selborne4 ,by ,,gilbert ,,white4       
,edited1 with     ,introduction1 by     
,,grant ,,allen4 ,with upwards of #bjj  
,illustrations by     ,,edmund ,h4      
,,new4 ,crown #hvo4 ,price #es4 net4    

,new ,edition4   ,the attraction lies   
chiefly in finding the masterpiece so   
admirably  illustrated by ,mr ,edmund   
,h4 ,new4 ,in black and white line work 
of this  class he has no equal4         
7,country ,life47   ,mr ,edmund ,new's  
drawings are not merely artistic1 but   
full of the  poetry of association4     
7,speaker47     ,the ,compleat ,angler4 
,by ,,izaak ,,walton and ,,charles      
,,cotton4 ,edited1     with an          
,introduction1 by ,,richard ,,le        
,,gallienne4 ,with ,photogravure        
,portraits of ,walton and ,cotton1 and  
over #bej ,illustrations and            
,cover-design by ,,edmund ,h4 ,,new4    
,fcap4 #dto4 ,price #aes4 net4   ,a     
delightful edition1 charmingly          
illustrated4 7,punch47   ,of ,mr ,edmund
 ,h4 ,new's illustrations we cannot     
speak too highly4 ,we  have never seen  
better4 7,spectator47   ,one of the best
 editions2 one1 we cannot help thinking1
 that ,walton  himself would have       
preferred4 7,daily ,chronicle47     ,all

 ,about ,dogs4 ,a ,book for ,doggy      
,people4 ,by ,,charles ,,henry ,,lane4  
,with     #he ,full-page ,illustrations 
7including nearly #gj champions7 by ,r4 
,h4     ,,moore4 ,gilt top4 ,demy #hvo4 
,price #gs4 #f;d4 net4   ,one of the    
most interesting contributions to the   
literature of the  day4 7,daily         
,chronicle47   ,mr ,lane's book is      
worthy of a place on the shelves of any 
sporting  library4 7,outlook47   ,a most
 interesting1 indeed1 an entirely       
fascinating book4 7,st  ,james's        
,gazette47   ,,order ,,from ,,your      
,,bookseller     ,flowers of ,parnassus 
,a ,series of ,famous ,poems            
,illustrated  ,under the ,general       
,editorship of  ,f4 ,b4 ,,money-,,coutts
  ,demy #afmo 7#e x #d inches74 ,gilt   
top    ,bound in ,cloth                 
,price #as4 net   ,bound in ,leather    
,price #as4 #f;d4 net     ,vol4         
,i4--,,gray',s ,,elegy ,,and ,,ode ,,on 
,a ,,distant ,,prospect ,,of ,,eton     
,,college4     ,with ,twelve            

,illustrations by ,j4 ,t4 ,,friedenson4 
,vol4 ,,ii4--,,the ,,statue ,,and ,,the 
,,bust4 ,by ,,robert ,,browning4 ,with  
,nine     ,illustrations by ,,philip    
,,connard4    ,vol4 ,,iii4--,,marpessa4 
,by ,,stephen ,,phillips4 ,with ,seven  
,illustrations by     ,,philip          
,,connard4    ,vol4 ,,iv4--,,the        
,,blessed ,,damozel4 ,by ,,dante        
,,gabriel ,,rossetti4 ,with ,eight      
,illustrations by ,,percy ,,bulcock4    
,vol4 ,v4--,,the ,,nut-,,brown ,,maid4  
,a ,new ,version by ,f4 ,b4             
,,money-,,coutts4     ,with ,nine       
,illustrations by ,,herbert ,,cole4     
,vol4 ,,vi4--,a ,,dream ,,of ,,fair     
,,women4 ,by ,,alfred ,,tennyson4 ,with 
,nine     ,illustrations by ,,percy     
,,bulcock4    ,vol4 ,,vii4--,,the ,,day 
,,dream4 ,by ,,alfred ,,tennyson4 ,with 
,eight     ,illustrations by ,,amelia   
,,bauerle4    ,vol4 ,,viii4--,a         
,,ballade ,,upon ,a ,,wedding4 ,by ,sir 
,,john ,,suckling4 ,with ,nine          
,illustrations by ,,herbert ,,cole4     

,vol4 ,,ix4--,,rub,,iy,t ,,of ,,omar    
,,khayy,m4 ,rendered into ,english      
,verse by     ,,edward ,,fitzgerald4    
,with ,nine ,illustrations by ,,herbert 
,,cole4    ,vol4 ,x4--,,the ,,rape ,,of 
,,the ,,lock4 ,by ,,alexander ,,pope4   
,with ,nine     ,illustrations by       
,,aubrey ,,beardsley4    ,vol4          
,,xi4--,,christmas ,,at ,,the ,,mermaid4
 ,by ,,theodore ,,watts-,,dunton4 ,with 
,nine ,illustrations by ,,herbert       
,,cole4    ,vol4 ,,xii4--,,songs ,,of   
,,innocence4 ,by ,,william ,,blake4     
,with ,eight     ,illustrations by      
,,geraldine ,,morris4  ,other ,volumes  
in ,preparation     ,,john ,,lane3      
,,london3 ,,vigo ,,street1 ,w4          
,,new ,,york3 #fg ,,fifth ,,avenue4     
99       99       99       99       99  
,transcriber's note3  ,spelling has been
 made consistent with regards to        
ligatures4 ,other inconsistencies in    
spelling1 hyphenation1 spacing and      
capitalisation have been retained4      
,missing and misplaced punctuation in   

the advertisements at the end of the    
text have been silently corrected4      
,page #af1 euonynus changed to euonymus 
7pines1 euonymus1 privet7  ,page #be1   
closing quote added 7fond of such87     
,page #cf1 augustifulium changed to     
angustifolium 7,asplenium               
angustifolium47  ,page #ci1 ,the changed
 to the 7,flower1 the ,dark-blue7  ,page
 #dj1 removed comma 7,milla uniflora47  
,page #df1 tribola changed to triloba   
7,h4 triloba7  ,page #ej1 altough       
changed to although 7,iris1 although he 
had7  ,page #eh1 humble-bee changed to  
bumble-bee 7its bumble-bee              
visitors7  ,page #ei1 ,oleverianum      
changed to ,oliverianum 7,e4            
,oliverianum7  ,page #fi1 coccineo      
changed to coccinea 7triphylla flore    
coccinea7  ,page #ie1 herbaceus changed 
to herbaceous 7hardy herbaceous plants7 
,page #aja1 develope changed to develop 
7they develop to a7