The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1910-04-14
PLANNING
A GARDEN

"Just what father will say I have no
tdea," began Doris. swinging a pink
checked sun-bonnet over the porch
railing. "But it was his letter that
really started me. So he Is partly to
blame If he doesn't quite approve. And
he does want me to stay outdoors
Everybody finds me out here, and
l don't pretend to apologize for envel-
oping aprons and garden tools. I've
dragged up enough porch furniture so
that can entertain people and now I
don't interrupt things to dress. Out
here ginghams do very nicely"
1T is a charming porch" remarked
Louise, with a slight shiver, as she
carefully rolled off her delicate gloves
and lifted her fawn.gray skirts slight
ly. But the yard-isn't it a bit dirty,
even for ginghams?"
Nov. for goodness sake, don't be
snobbish." pleaded Doris. TITS love
ly. And weren't you the very person
who advised me to give up the winter
term at school and come home, where
l could get well making flower gar
dens? That was the very day father
came for me with the news that this
house in the suburbs was ours. I
came on to find snow everywhere and
no possible chance to do anything but
plan. Just when things began to get
sunny father was called away on this
tiresome business trip. Through my
conscientious efforts mothers life was
made a nightmare until she got father
to send a long list Of instructions and
plans for the garden.
I started that very day in earnest.
Father wrote: Have the garden spaded
and arranged according to these plans,
and when I come Doris can do all the
planting under my Instructions |
can see his smile as he wrote that.
What will he say to this. l wonder?
"You see. l had already made plans
OF my own. He had sent for lots
OF horticulturists' magazines and in
one of them I found a glorious plan
for a formal garden-just the size of
ours. OF course father wasn't spe-
cially interested in the flower side of
1t at all. He Is SO crazy over sweet
corn and summer squashes that he
can't think of other things. When
he told me how much Of the ground
could be mine l kept the plan to my.
self, for there seemed such oceans of
time to discuss 1t. After he went
south l talked it wei with mother.
and she wrote him about some of my
plans. That was why he sent his.
So we started in, making every now
and then a few changes that didn't
really matter.
Mother protested for a time, but
she hasn't said a word for a week
not since started to dig the pool for
my irises and goldfish. Yes. that's II.
In the center will be a bank of gravel,
but there will be a mud bottom for the
long roots. And I had pipes laid. so
there will be a continual flow of water
across the pool. OF course there is
the water tax to think of, as mother
says. but maybe W can get a special
rate, since we want to use so much
water. Most things are cheaper at
wholesale. you know.
along the sunny fence I've planted
hollyhocks and cosmos and %coreopsis.
because they make amicable COM
rades when shoulder to shoulder as
my book says. Fathers corn was to
have been there, but 1t can go some
where else just a we'll. and think Of
the difference in the looks-and on
the most prominent side of the yard,
too!
1.-The beds all circle about the iris
pool and the paths are to be of grass,
with a four-foot border with sweet
alyssum. pansies and foliage plants.
just like the parks. And there are my
poppy beds-'nymphs v e in the
heart of f1owerdom.' my book calls
them.
THAT pillar? Oh, that is my sun,
dial. Isn't 1t sweet? had to have
one. for this article says: About the
sundial clusters all the romance Of
the ages. It is e%nveloped in an atmo-
sphere of poetry
Mother and l mad our most serious
discussion over that bed on the north
side Of The yard. have to wait for
father before l shall know about my
summer house. There l shall serve
tea, with rambler roses and clematis
and wisteria climbing all about! Fa-
Their had selected that side for his
asparagus beds and they were already
started, so l yielded to mother In that.
I love asparagus, don't your And If
l must do without the summer house
I'll have the vines over the porch, as
mother suggested.
"Other vegetables? Well, yes, IA
Their wants them, and I am worried
to think where he a put them.
Why, he even wanted pumpkins and
cantaloups. I have left a bed for
lettuce and radishes and such pretty