Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-08-03
WHO DOES NOT LOVE FLOWERS ?
A Brief Tribute to Natures Choicest Handi
work.
By LIE r. VERNON,

never-failing source OF happiness
This love of gardens comes naturally
to most people. 1t is rarely that the
sight and smell of flowers excite nc
joy, and yet it is only those who have
worked and lived among their flowers
who have felt this happiness to the
full.
Every one who cultivates this nat.
ural taste for flowers early in life will
find as time goes on that it is an ever.
growing fund of pleasure. A garden
will repay with interest all the trouble
spent upon it. Flowers are never un-
grateful for care, and attention Law
ished upon them cannot be thrown
away, as is too often the case with
thankless friends. The garden is full
OF surprises. something unexpected
often happens, q primrose more brave
than its fellows opens a pretty bright
flower on some cold and dismal au-
tumn day, or precious snowdrop
pokes through the frosty ground and
shakes its little whits head as a
harbinger OF Spring.
Another, and perhaps the chiefest,
attraction of garden is that occupa.
tion can always be found there. No
idle people are happy, but with mind
and fingers busy, cares are soonest for.
gotten. There is not day in the
year. however hard the toll may have
been, but that some enjoyment can
be found. "Satan finds some mis-.
chief still for idle hands to do" but
will not trouble hands actively at
work in a garden, for, as Bacon, the
statesman and writer said, nearly
three hundred years ago. at is the
purest of all human pleasures"
One virtue must be learned and
prscticed. from day to day and year to
year, ii gardens are to be made to
flourish. A flower cannot hurry; a
regular process of growth goes on from
the time the little seed begins to germ.
mate. slowly but steadily, always do.
ing its best, until the plant gradually
reaches perfection.
Winter after winter the trees wait
patiently for the spring. and then gent
ly and carefully unfold eac b tiny bud,
till they attain their full be auty in the
Summer. In like manner those who
tend a garden must have infinite
patience if they would succeed. It
has been said that flowers only flourish
in the garden Of some one who loves
them, which is q fantastic idea, but at
any rate it is perfectly true to cay
that they will only attain their high.
est perfection in the gardens of those
who study and care for them. and
children who begin the task will find
it never ending one, yet of ever,in.
creasing pleasure and instruction.
| "Not tree,
A plant. leaf, blossom, but contains
A 1Ollo volume. We may read, and
read
And read again. and still find some
thing new,
Something & to please and something to
Tall and stately, pure white or
crowned with gold. lilies seem the
very essence of balmy Summer. time.
Lilies have always held a special place
among flowers. The lilies of the field,
whose beautiful array surpassed Solo.
mon in all his glory, we're called upon
to teach . lesson OF trust and humil.
ity, and since then lilies have been
used by writers, poets and printers OF
all ages to typify all that is pure and
BEAUTIFUL
And the stately lilies stand,
Fair in the silvery light,
Like sanity vestals, pale in prayer,
Their pure breath sanctifies the air,
As their fragrance fills the night"
Some flowers must always be loved
more than others from what they sug.
gest to us, and the good and pleasant
thoughts they bring. When we see
daisy" Bright flower whose home is
everywhere"-we think of it, not as a
tiresome little weed, but recall the
many joys of Spring its first coming
brings. and the friendly way its eye
has looked on and cheered the sad and
lonely. It has been said of these
"little starry daisies" "The Angels
have planted them to remind US OF the
sky" A great many flowers have
their special meaning, and have been
used as emblems by poets and writer's
! of all ages. though their special sig.
ni6cance is not always the same. l
remember seeing French picture of
some paper lying on . table with pen
and ink all ready to write, and over
the paper were scattered psnsies for
thoughts, as the French word pensees
stands for both pansies and thoughts.
10" Hamlet" one of Shakespeare's
plays, Ophelia brings in some flowers,
and OF one OF them she says: "There's
rosemary, that's for remembrance"
and then "There are pansies, that's
for thoughts" Pansies are some
times said to mean memory too, as in
these little lines
Roses blushing red and white,
For delight,
Honeysuckle wreaths above,
For love.
Dim, sweet-scented heliotrope,
For hope.