American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-04-10
A Little Garden Well Kept.

There is much more satisfaction in
one or two healthy towering plants
covered with foliage and bloom than in
fifty or hundred struggling and sick
ly, with few leaves and flowers. In
deed, the latter sight conveys an un-
pleasant sensation to the mind, whilst
the former gives satisfaction. Carry
out this principle in making a flower
garden. Let it be as small as you like,
but keep it in perfect order. Have the
ground rich, the foliage deep green,
the flowers full-sized and brilliant in
coloring, the walks in perfect order,
and everything trim and neat. A very
small bit Of ground kept in this way
will give satisfaction from April to
December, longer or shorter, according
to latitude and elevation, and a few
pots of fine healthy flowers will give
satisfaction in the house from Deem
Der to April. Both of these gardens
will require constant care to take away
decaying leaves or unsightly branches,
and to cut Oft all seed pods as soon as
the flowers fall. The window garden,
however, requires the most knowledge
and care, and it will be very difficult to
keep it well if it is in a room heated
with hot air, and lighted with gas.
The Dutch and Japanese are cele-
brated for keeping small gardens in
perfect order and continual bloom; and
English cottage gardens have been
widely celebrated. The Grand Trunk
Railway Company of Canada, owned
and managed by Rnglishmen, offered
premium to the station-master along
the line who would Keep the incest gar
den plot open to the view of the pas
kv-o1
small at the disposal of any station
them were very pretty, and especially
that which took the prize. It was
thing of beauty and Joy to every pas
senger who saw it from the windows of
the cars that tarried there a few min
utes. Who shall compute the amount
of pleasure which that gem of garden
gave, and why should not every rail-
road offer a bonus to every station
master who will keep q nice flower
garden, and prize for the bestP The
Gradgrind sentiment in railroad COM
panies need not entirely exclude the
love of the beautiful. Akin TO this
case may be mentioned the small but
beautiful gardens of some of the hand
loom weavers of Paisley and other
manufacturing towns. They confined
their attention to few flowers. usually
taking one or two kinds as specialties,
and excelled in these. The beautiful
collections of auriculas, polyanthus,
ranunculas, anemones, pinks and car
nations of some of these weavers sur
passed in perfection of flowers the large
collections of noblemen's gardens, or
even nurserymen and professional flo
rists.
We advert to this important matter
at this season with a view to induce
every family that can do so to cultivate
a flower garden, however small, were 1t
only border on each side of the front
door, or circle in a green in front of
the house. Let the earth be rich, get
seeds of the finest kinds of hardy flow
ers from reliable scotsman, and when
the plants come up do not leave them
too crowded. Select the kinds that will
make brilliant show, or that will make
fine bouquets, or that have a rich per-
fume. Several kinds should be sown
now in pots or boxes in the house or in
hot-beds so as to bloom early, and some
violets, pansies, daisies and other hardy
spring flowers should be procured in
pots to plant out without delay. In
May fuchsias and geraniums, which
bloom all the season, may be planted
out. Low growing plants will be found
the most beautiful for small gardens.
and of these there is y great variety
from which to choose.-M. Y. Witness.