The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-25

sky is ,ohi such a beautiful azure hue; and life seems sweet and in spite of your self you will begin to smile and nun a little tune. Somehow you just cant be sorry for yourself-out of doors."
 Tt Is quite worth while to know that gardening, and being among flowers can have such an effect upon ones tempera- ment," l remarked.
 ''Why, you scarcely know how the time fies',' responded Mrs. Harding, with the most bewitching of smiles. What was that whistle? Why it's 12 o'clock and time for luncheon? Your appetite has grown in proportion to the pile of weeds you have uprooted and preparing for lunch is now a privinlege and pleasure The fiattering remarks of the children about your cooking has put you in an even better humor Especially when you have cheese, crackers, sardines and can ned peaches on the table). And if the pile of weeds has been very large, you may even add scrambled eggs and tea, being fully repaid for the trouble by the knowledge that you are such an expert cook. Lunch over you at once fly to your work again, and all the afternoon Is spent among your flowers and shrubs that you love so well, and when duck comes you are so glad you did not go driving, and you are so tired you really wouldn't go to the old party if you could, and you are happy and content"
 "So many people would like to cultivate flowers, but they are not so fortunate as you are Mrs. Harding, in having such beautiful surroundings" I remarked. And then the time, too"
 That ie entirely mistaken idea as to the amount of time, labor and ground re- quired for a small flower garden. Let the beginner start with a border, for instance, laying it out according to the amount of ground she has. In a tiny yard there is usually room for a border of flowers on either side of the walk, or a small bed may be arranged next to the porch. Where there is plenty of sunshine your varieties of flowers are only limited by the size of your borders and the size of your pocketbook.'
 Suppose your house is situated sot hat a northern exposure is all that you have for your flowers. What then?"
 Ut is an ideal situation for ferns, rhododendrons, iris, azaleas and B few evergreens. The best of these are the Retinasporo. Very few vines do well on the north side of the house, expect Am pelopss and our common evergreen ivy. A fern and rhododendon bed must never be allowed to become dry and must be mulched with stable litter, lawn clippings and leaf mold"
 
 your sun parlor is the finest specimen that l have ever seen. You must have a magical touch," l laughingly said to Mrs. Harding, ito perfect its growth like that"
 I'm really very proud of that fern" said she, enthusiastically. "It is 9 feet in circumference and is larger than the one which took the first prize at the state fair last year. You know, flowers must be physiced, just like people. Now, that fern that you admire so much is given a teaspoonful of ammonia in a bucket of water once every week. To my Japanese naples and rhododendroms I administer Epson salts, while the palms have ths worst dose of all since they must have castor oil.''
 And they look so unoffending don't they? I don't see why they should have to be treated so badly. And now tell me what thrives best in the eastern and southern parts of a garden
 All the year round you will find satis- faction out of snowdrops, hyacinths, tu- lips, jonquils, narcissus, and deletra, and if planted in November will begin to bloom in January. and last many months. Then the lilies come and there are hun dreds of varieties. They flourish in rich loam to which has been added some sand, and once planted, they should never be disturbed as long as they are doing well. The Japanese Auratums, the grandest of all lilies, the Longifiorum, the fragrant Yellow Day lily. the lovely old-fashoned Butterfly lily will bloom for months if properly watered. The water lily would require a whole volume to tell of it's won drous leaves and flowers"
 And so with roses, too-isn't that true?" I ventured.
 ''Yes, indeed,' said Mrs. Harding. And they are all so beautiful. Take the climb CTS, like Reine Marie Henriette. Rambler,