The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-09
c. A R y E N IN c. NOTES

II In the place of the ubiquitous rubber
plant. The choisya Is OF robust growth,
has evergreen foliage and clusters OF
white waxen flowers in circular bou-
quots which are delightfully."- fragrant.
This plant Is described and Illustrated
by Robinson in his book English Gar
dens" but l have never seen II men
toned in an American book. one gar
6en feature that appealed to my utili-
tartan sense was n high alcove, built Of
brick. In the corner of the front garden
wall. open at the top: into this Is
thrown all garden refuse: IL IL emptied
through a small iron door opening on
the public road. accessible to the scav-
enger. The garden side OF the wall is
OF course concealed by vines or fruit
trees trained upon II. usually by lattices.
and conveys the impression Of a small
forcing house.
The vegetable garden is almost as
attractive as the flower bed: along the
edges are planted various flowers for
house decoration exclusively.
II II is a long lesson we learn in
other lands we in turn have given
them new experiences in plant life. Ono
sees American plants glori1ed by cul-
ture in every English park; our mullen
weed Is an instance; there II Is called
the American velvet plant. Planted az
a solitary object in n wide space OF turf
II IL really beautiful with its rosettes
OF woolly gray green foliage and spires
OF yellow blossoms.
An oxford gardener told me tina.
many OF their best plants came from
our country. He was asked to tell the
secret of the wonderful English turf
so we could obtain one like It over here
We'll, ma'am," he replied. you must
begin to make It three hundred years
before you are born, II you want II
like this"
The entire mise en- scene OF these
charming haunts is TO an enthusiastic
visitor a perennial delight. They are.
at once. a stimulation and cause for
despair. for with all ones efforts one
cannot command climatic conditions.
or, given these. the expert labor and
infinite patience watch are required to
produce such results on our side OF the
water. But we can do much II we are
willing to be taught. We are a very
sef-sufflcient people We know it all"
too often to our sorrow. Lot us learn.
as We may. the precious lessons which
! lands other than our own afford Us.
Tho English are n phlegmat!c race
ana are so used to the great natural
| beauty OF their island home that they
| appear 10 contemplate our American
enthusiasm as something strange and
rather amusing. The tourist gone mad
over their everyday delights Is a wonder
! TO them.
So IL Is Just as well when one starts
| upon a pilgrimage to this Mecca of
| lowers to prepare to keep enthusiasm
/ bottled up. Otherwise the visitor may
he regarded as slightly irresponsible. To
the alien flower worshlpper the rage
/ Of delight may become an obsession as
he sees his every dream OF an ideal
| garden realized.
one last-and this IL the highes,
! tribute: they have no weeds TO worry
them into discouragement and despair
Centuries OF cultivation have eliminated
them from the old English gardens
The wind OF that country IL no char
tered libertine free TO watt seed from a
neighbours weeds into your garden. In
our own sweet land of liberty" they
are waited in clouds over our borders
and keep us in n state OF war: but
there are compensatlons even for
weeds. Like some buried Cesar" they
make the humus which Is 80 essentia
TO the welfare OF flowers.
Tomatoes crack II the hot sun shines