The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-05-30
Queen Of Spades.

esying the bloom Of days to come, and per-
haps not pleasanter in their fulfillment than
in their prophecy, ones thoughts turn to
the flower beds and all the sweet places from
which blossoms are to come one recalls the
fresh and delicious smell Of the just-upturn-
ed earth, as sweet sometimes after rain as
the scent of flowers themselves, the delight
OF the great expectations with winch seeds
are planted, the patient pleasure of watch
ing the result, the gay fauting Of the full
grown blossoming things at last, and the
daily filling Of the vases from their store.
In England and in France, and in other
lands as well, almost all ladies do little
gardening of their own, wearing course
gloves and shade hats the while, and having
tools adapted to their use, and they think
they find their account in it, not only in the
flowers themselves and the ornamentation
Of the spot OF ground, but in the health and
strength that old Mother Earth loves to give
to all who come in close contact with her.
1t would be good thing for the health of
our own women if the same thing were as
general custom here and we have nc
doubt that much of the improved health
amorg them IN the last quarter Of century
is due to larger outdoor life than Of old,
and the consequent better oxygenation Of
the blood.
1t does not need the possession Of spacious
to cultivate her own plot, for of course they
would pass far beyond her power, although
with the most extended grounds some one
title corner may be retained for the private
dabbling of the mistress. But if one has
only three square yards OF land, it is better
to fill it with flowers than to let it run to
weeds. In deed, the most brilliant and the
most ornamental display of flowers we ever
saw was Celia Thaxter's little garden be-
meath her cottage windows at Appledore,
gorgeous upon the background OF the sea,
not any larger than an ordinary boudolir,
and where nothing was set in prim beds,
but, as some one has described it. "a yard
full of flowers, full to the fence-top, and
covering every inch of ground with their
glad luXuriance; hot a weed anywhere
quite crowded out by these burning, glow
ing, starry, giadsome creatures, and Of which
the poetess herself has written
1.-THE barren island dreams in flowers, while blow
= The south winds, drawing haze ore sea and
land,
Yet the great heart OF ocean. throbbing slow,
Makes the frail blossoms vbrate where they
stand.''
t. Il hca hurcy
that they can not give an hours work to
the preparation of little garden plot, or to
tiny spots of flowers here and there about
the grass, and one or two hours at different
times during the summer to the care of such
places, for it hardly requires more, an |
they are poor indeed who can not afford
the expense OF the few seeds and bulbs re-
CURED, and, to our mind, had better afford
them as a luxury, and dispense with some
thing previously deemed necessary, than to
do without them. Not only is Is one of the
most gracious pleasures in the world to SEE
the place poisoning that, il your effort had
not been made, would be barren waste
| but the flowers themselves repay all trouble
in the gentle and sweet excitement thai
they bring, as you watch day by day the
pouting of bud and the slow dwelling O.
| its blossom, as you see the first sun strike
them all tremulous with dew in the morn.
ing, as you see them living their sweet life
| by starlight or moon, and think that it you
really did not create this beauty, yet bu
for you it would never have existed
] What else will SO small an amount of cxer-
ton compass at all comparable in effec
with the chasm Of. a mass of all sorts ant
colors of flowers. tossing in the wind ant
shinining in the sun? There, in the spring
we will have the snow-drop and crocus ant
the tulip; the fleur-de-lis, the flower Q
France and chivalry, whose perfume will
at some time, steal across the senses Of GU
children, long gone from home, and brinl
back all their memories !; here will be a be
of violets sending up penetrating incense,
honey-suckle covering the fence in elothe
with beauty and fragrance, the snow OF fe
ver-few, the deep blue of old Canterbury
bells, impish columbires, velvet auricula
and pansies, damask roses and Scotch, an
by-and-by the white roses climbing into vi
per chamber windows; here will be on
burning bed of rose and scarlet geranium
stock Of vivid blue larkspnrs, a gay moi
ley of petunias and nasturtinms here wi
be the tropical late white lilies, coreops
and zinnia, tiger-lilies to absorb the Angus
heats, Mexican sage to give the key TO Il
splendors Of the dying leaf, chrysantheml
blooming OIL the edge Of autumn chills, an
anywhere, patches of unkIiable four o'cloc
making rainbows in the morning SUNSHINE
The greater part Of such things, once plant
ed, have not to be renewed, but will con
up the next year Of themselves. III
geraniums need but mornings potting
the fall, mornings plnnging in the sprin'
and perhaps not always SO much time I
that; the bulbs need half an hours servi'
in taking up and setting out again the fc