The Savannah morning news., 1901-05-12
*Arm.
BACK YARD Possibilities.

Even the Smallest Plot May BE Made
Place of Beauty.
New York, May 1O.-The average city
or suburban backyard usually kept sa-
cred to the family wash. may in a dozen
| different ways, be converted into a gar
den of inexhaustible delight, as we'll as
interest and instruction.
One New York woman who loves live
rompfng creatures rather than green,
growing things has rooted her high back
yard fences with fine chicken fence wire.
Into the security of this great cage she
has turned a pair of mischievous mon
keys, a couple of rabbits and some tame
crows. The result is a continuous per-
Torrance for her family and her near
neighbors. Most women would find this
a rather strenuos pastime.
Another active little lady with a love
of gardening and a practical turn OF
mind who lives on the outskirts of the
Great Metropolis, keeps her family sup
piled with fruit and vegetable luxuries.
The man of the house is tied to the city
through the summer, but his ingenious
wife has brought the mountain TO Ma
homet
Her plot is somewhat larger than the
average city yard, and she has made the
most of 1t. Against the fence which gets
the south sun she has trained peach trees
in the English Gordon fashion, seldom
seen in this country. These trees bore
fruit four years from the planting of
the pits. On the west fence grows a
grapevine, also trained In a "set pat
tern"
What was formerly the grass plot in
the center of the yard is now wonder
fully thrifty little garden Vegetables
which properly belong farther south, ar
tichokes and okra, are coddled and made
comfortable by glass coverlets. While II
lie still too cold to put seeds in the ground,
boxes of okra, lettuce and tomatoes are
started indoors, and when these young
plants are ready for the garden more
seeds are started In the box In this way,
the chatelaine manages to eat of the
fruit of her vine continually. This partic-
ular family enjoys the luxury Of perfect
ly fresh picked okra, lettuce and arti-
chokes throughout the entire summer
II the redemption of the backyard is
seriously considered, by all means have a
good gardener to put the soil In condition
at the start. This is the foundation OF
success and should not be undertaken by
an amateur. This done, the novice should
provide herself with seedsmen's cata-
logues and a good gardening book. Read
the alphabet of gardening. knowledge
and success come only with practice and
through failure.
good idea is to use the center plot
for the sort OF combination garden one
so often sees In France, where onions and
peoples, green peas and roses, with let
tuce and nasturtums grow In happy
unity
But whether the garden is to be de-
A.. 10 NuL1 no
of savory herbs, such as thyme, sage,
parsley, mint, etc, is absolutely indls-
pensibe. These plants are at home in any
company, and the cook will love these
cheerful givers.
Many owners Of town houses close them
for two or three months In the summer.
putting out OF the question the vegetable
or annual flower garden, which requires
constant attention. Such yard owners
may. however, 20 in for the most de-
Ilghtful Of all, toe sturdy, self-reliant,
hardy perennial garden. so planned from
the catalogues that lilac and dogwood.
with clumps OF lilies-of~the-valley and
jon-qullls in the shady places will come
out TO cheer and comfort the household
during the trunk packing and mothball
season, while honeysuckle, chrysanthe-
NUNS bttersweet vines and the like will
linger on through September and October
10 give a welcome home In the autumn.
BY studying out the garden plans given
in the good books. and the habits Of these
shrubs and plants. marvelously beautiful
effects may be obtained A very simple
plan rs 10 iuclose the grass plot with
wire, with a roof OF same tent fashion.
over this wire tent train quick growing
vines. especially the luxuriant and cour-
aReous honeysuckle. the first green vine
10 peep out in spring the last TO defy the
winter frost. This will give sun-proof
bower which may even be made mosquito
proof n necessary. A bower OF this sort
cleyerly fashioned by Staten Island wo-
man has instead of fence wire an entire