The Indianapolis journal., 1902-03-30
WOMEN AS GARDENERS
LOTS OF PLEASURE TO BE HAD IN
MAKING a WILD GARDEN.
Herb Gardens FIourishing Again as
of Old-Enthusiasm of Some
Women ON the Subject
New York Sun.

New York Sun.
Americans are rapidly cutivating taste
for country life. The rich build luxurious
country homes and each year lengthen the
proportion OF their time spent in them
Those who are not rich enough TO indulge
preferences for mountain, seashOre or real
country and who cannot aspire 10 estates
become abandoned farmers for part Of the
year or content themselves with being
sUburbanites TO the JOY OF the comic pa
pers and 10 their own profit in health and
wholesome living.
With the increasing vogue of country
living has come wave OF gardening en-
thusasm that makes seed men smile cheer
fully and is bringing many professional
gardeners to America to share profits with
the native-born gardener. but the American
woman does not yet appreciate the solid
enjoyment and amusement to be found in
gardening.
Occasionally some woman will go in for
flower culture and make her domain thing
OF beauty. and the old-fashioned garden
has been fad of late. the garden hedged
with box and gay with hollyhocks, gilly
flowers. wall flowers and the other homely
flower favorites of olden time. There are
around some of the old colonial homes of
New England and the South. and the mis-
tress of a brand new colonial mansion in
stalls a brand new old-fashioned garden
but must accept with philosophy the face
that time alone can give the place its right
full flavor can make the box what ii should
be and can give the old-fashioned flowers
ar air Of being at home.
Still, the old-fashioned garden is a good
thing. The rose garden is good thing,
too. though rather more difficult to handle.
Then there Is the wild garden, particularly
popular with English women, and TO be
found in rare beauty on many Of the great
English estates.
Any one can have a Wild garden. and
| there's deal Of pleasure to be found in
making one. The woman who does not
know the secrets of her countryside is
missing half the JOY OF country life. Fresh
air and country views are not all the per-
quisites.
The owner of a country home should
make acquaintance with trees and plants
and flowers and birds and shy four-footed
wood creatures. When that is done she
has all-year entertainment provided for
her and country life has lost it's bugbear
of dullness and loneliness
AVERAGE WOMAN'S WAY
Unluckily the average woman will not
make the effort to enrich her. days and
enjoy their possibilities She drives about
the country roads unseeing, save for broad,
aggressive sights or she sits on her veran-
da and says she enjoys the view.
If she really wants entertainment let her
set aside in the early spring a plot of
ground that has a mixture of shade and sun
and holds a few trees of a wildwood kind,
as well a stretch of sward. A rockery
should have q nook, too-not a monstrosity
of artificial grottoes. but a careless, scat
tered pile of rocks packed in between with
rich loan. If hydrants and water supply
make a pool Of running water possible. so
much the better; but if not, the water and
marsh plants must be barred.
When the plot is ready she should don
short skirt, stout shoes, loose blouse and
shade hat. take a covered basket in one
hand, trowel in the other and sally forth
in search of spoils. Perhaps she knows
something of the haunts and ways and ap
peaTance of wild flowers.
If she doesn [, any one of a dozen modern
books will help her in her search. and