The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-19

Everybody loves a garden. There is its charm, all it's happy luxuriance to the thought and work of one brave little woman. Working among her beloved tiowers-her children, as she calls them knowing something of the joys of crea- ition, if it be but the creation of patch of color on the earth's surface, she Is fearing to forget the sorrow and bitter ness which lie in the years behind.
 For "a garden is a lovesome thing. God wotl ITO my friend it has been almost father and mother, brother and sister rolled into one since first she looked on the arid wilderness which neglect had made of it and took 1t to her heart with something of the passion of pity which . neglected child arouses in us women. stood with her fin the early days of spring time and admired the pearly. duslSy green of the tulip leaves they stood patiently waiting, an ideal background for the riot of color which the first sunny day would bring to their midst. I was introduced to the few brave dafiodils, the Lent lilies showing golden here and there in a forest of spiky leaves. We found the first pale primroses in their warm beds of greenery and were dazzled by the blue and gold glory of the crocus patch.
 Having paid by court I left her in the midst of her children" and visited a garden Of another sort. It was not far away from the first and presided over by e contented woman who has no years of bitterness to forget. She is fiowerlilSe in her daintiness and loves things of beauty as well as the flower garden lady. But hers is a Dutch garden, of tomatos and radishes, beans, potatoes and onions. Yes, even in the last homely vegetable she takes a pride, and while their charms are dissimilar, she finds beauty in the curves of rich red tomato no less than in big cabbage rose.
 For both of these garden ladies a high standard has been set; both are garden CTS aiming at perfection; both succeed because they love seeing things grow. As attractive, in it's way, as the spring nose gay from the flower ladys garden was the basket of tomatoes, beans onions and potatoes which was taken from the vege- table lady's garden spot to studio, where it was the subject of a clever still life study done in oils
 As l looked at the finished study l thought what theme for big canvas would be one of the market places-per- haps the one at Five Points, where the truck farmers are bringing their prod ucts these fine mornings for sale to the housekeepers of Birmingham. They are the quaintest places imaginable, even the big, patient horses who have been backed up to the curb enter into the picture, af- fording a delightful element of the life and motion of the scene which is so much more entirely that of 'cabbages' than of "kings," unless one consider the little rinces who in Oliver Twist suits and with golden hair tumbled in the wind are brought down to market by the nurse- maid or cook who is buying the family's dinner before breakfast.
 You see a vegetable garden is no less . thing of beauty and poetic inspiration than a flower pot. if you have poets scul. It was Wordsworth, I think, who AGeclared he could write a poem about head of lettuce; and do you know of any more charming climax than the line in tEAt pretty Irish song, Peggy in the Low Backed Car" in which the lover says he "envies the chicken that Peggy ts piclSin'?7
 The foregoing is by way of stating ttat every encouragement should be given to the truck farmers who are making a market place for the housekeepers of Bir- mingham practically at their own doors., Many of the tiiriftiest and most skillful houseK Keepers are taking advantage of the T. 6rkets and the more up-to-date farmers are manifestly encouraged by their suc- cess. Owing to the recent drouth the dis play of vegetables is not what it might be at other seasons. but certainly the pro- duce is all far better than the wilted, stale things that too often find their way