The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-08-11

season--and many times anording an abundance for the Christmas board opened purple upon a sleeping world yet wrapped in a winter robe. Such long stems. such wide flung petals, and such fragrancei What generous supplies were forshcoming for we'd ding, bier. or feast!
 Then the L.aurestinas woke up and sent forth a greeting to the denizens of the terraces. The buds turned red for fear the bush yellow jessamine would get ahead of her! How the mistress watched 1t all! And when the snowy clusters of the Laurestinas be- lied these red buds. her delights was beautiful to see. While Grandmother told the children the Oleanders were poisonous, yet the exquisite blooms were to be enjoyed just as the open secret of the newly matched birdies. without handlingi An, forgotten 9rti That of Touch not" now is the day of the 'Doubting Cor otherwise) Thomas"
 Save thrust in my hand And dear mother lets it be. thus depriving the little ones of that most beautiful and valuable lesson--because Christ. 1ike--of self-conuuesti
 How pink and sweet they were those blossoms. A pink 90 distinct from that of the rose. or towering almond. or moss. or myrtle.
 A humming up in the rose dowers proved that an industrious bee had reused from his winter rest. Soon Grandmother softly said. 'Sh-sh-shy shie while a finger pointed to where. up above the honeysuckie. a gleaming iridiscence to proclaimed the tiniest feathered thing of beauty had herald ed the spring.
 But there is that great round bed. just in front of the gate between 1t arl f0 fall a f VI a of eighteen feet in diameter; bordered with the prim little box. while in the center was a verticle fountain-bush of snowy spirea:. that bush measured ten feet high andNits wands of bloom touched their tips just wfthiH tho cir- cle of the box. On the narrow terrace that stretch ed before the steps, were beds of white, red and purple verbenas-Quite a new and valuable acquisition to the flower lovers collection then. How fragrant were those beds. and how the bees hummed above them! Little children balanced themselves at the sacred edges of those debs in a vain attempt to grasp a golden butterfly that ai- ways kept just out of reach! How imminent was the danger of being pre- cipitated into the midst of all that fragrance--and into the vortex of Grandmother's wrathl
 Right in front of the terrace that lead to the steps, extended very wide walk which seemed arranged for pleasure seekers; it extended from one side of that great garden to the other East and West. Beginning at the corner of the house there was a row of beautiful eedars--endinE at each extremity in a summer house." On the West side of the house, be- heath the cedars, alternating with them, were huge bushes of Cape jessa- mine. loaded in their proper season with that most artificial-looking flow CT that nearly everyone associates with the dead.
 On the East side. alternating with the cedarR, were bushes of the crim- son velvet Tose-now known of The Florists as "Agippina" In later years l some of those roses got beyond the control of the little Mistress. and climbed away up into the very top of those tall cedars, whence they Haunt ed their banners of richest crimson. What an exchange of courtesies ! there was between the flower lovers of that delightful neighborhoodl When Henry W. Hilliard furnished his won- derful garden, up at the head of Wash ington street, he was generous to many friends out in South Montgomery so many European treasures grew and
 
 "Stag-horn" gerantum was provided | with an ornamental urn--such as it had been accustomed to in palace gar dens. The Lantana made its first bow and spread it's orange and crimson bloom for admiration. but, unfortu- nately, 1t had brought along that odor peculiar to it's family, and while those gentle women gave it welcome be- cause it was flower and the handi- work of God, many handkerchief went surreptitiousiy to the highbred nostrils that curled in spite of the owner at the infiictioni
 Pettisporum was another wonderful acquisition; with its greenish flower so honey sweet; there were several searched for in florists collections wherever this writer has been, but in vainl
 Mrs. Albert Williams made Q visit to New York city. Some friends there gave her a goodly supply of Blue Grass from their plot in Greenwood Greenwood Cemetery; she was gener- Cemetery; she was generous to her neighbors and friends onher- return. So well did 1t thrive under the cedars on Elm Hill that there was fine sod still ther when Dr Thigpenbought the place. If there Is a member of the Flower Growers Association who would like to have few roots to start with. the writer has supply and will try to emulate Mrs Williams in her. neighborly sharing.
 Grandmother loved her plants to follow the characteristics implanted by Nature. so there was no trimming of her plants into artificial shapes except the little box. But Grandmoth- CTS visits to Mrs Finley were always looked forward to with interest by the little folks of her family, because they were turned loose in Mrs Finley's won derful garden. while the grownups discussed the unreasonable attitude of the North toward the South. and gave reasons pro and con regarding the pos- sible war. Out in the garden wide eyes were made at those wonderful birds and beasts that had somehow changed into cedar trees. giant box bushes and other evergreens; peacocks with fIaunt-- ing tails-all solid green however, doves that would not coo. while giant rooster reared his comb so high that it nearly broke the. little necks to keep