The Dolores star. [volume] (Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo.) 1901-current, 1916-08-11

Going over the grass between the
last apple trees and the brook again
and again with the mower. I finally
reduced that section to something like
a lawn, and also kept moved a straight
path from the pool up to the front
door. Then, beginning just beyond the
last shadows, we cut a bed. thirty
inches wide, on each side OF the line
Of the path, running parallel with 1t
to within ten feet of the pool; then
they swung to left and right. following
the curve Of the bank until they
fanked the pool. By planting low flow
ers ut the beginning. and gradually in
creasing their height till we had lark
spur and hollyhocks and mallow in
the flanking beds. we could both make
the transition from orchard to water
feature, and also screen or the pool,
increasing Its intimacy. without, how
ever, hiding 1t from the front door,
where 1t was glimpsed down a path
Of trees and flowers. or course we
had no flowers now in mid-July. to put
into those beds, save what few we
could dig up from elsewhere, setting
poor little annual phloxes two feet
apart; but we could, and did, use them
for seedbeds for next years perennials,
and to the eye Of faith they were
beautiful.
Now we were confronted by the
problem of the other side Of the pool,
which included the problem Of how to
get to the other side! Stella suggested
tentatively tiny japanese moon
bridge above the pool, but I would
have none of 1t.
1.-The only way to build Japanese
garden in New England is to utilize
New England features" insisted.
I'VE won't copy anybody"
"All right" she answered, then we
want stepping stones above the pool,
and some more down below the dam,
where we can see the waterfall"
More suitable-and much easier"
agreed.
Once more we robbed the stone wall,
building our two fanking paths of
stepping-st to the other side Of the
brook.
On the other side we decided to elm
'hutS oi ho"SA pSho IA oPCh,
ly planting iris and forget-me-not on
the rim of the pool. We would clear
out wide semicircle of lawn, with
the bench at the center of the circum-
ference, and plant our remaining flow
ers against the shrubbery on the sides,
which was chiefly the wild red osier
dogwood (cornus stolonifera). got
brush scythe, Ratchet, a spade, a
grub hoe and a rake, and we went to
work.
Work is certainly the word. 1t was
not difficult to clear the brush and the
tall. rank weeds and grasses away
from our semicircle, which was hard
ly more than thirty feet in diameter.
but to spade up the black soil there
after, to eliminate the long, tenacious
roots Of the witch grass and the weeds.
to clear out the stubborn stumps Of in
Vulnerable little trees and wild shrubs
which had overrun the place, to spread
evenly the big pile of soil we had ex-
cavated from the pool, to reduce it all
to u clean, level condition for sowing
grass, was more than l had bargained
for. Stella gave up helping, for it was
beyond her strength; but I kept on,
through the long, hot July afternoons,
and at last had 1t ready. The time
Of year was anything but propitious
for sowing grass seed, but we planted
1t, none the less, trusting that in such
low, moist spot it might make n
catch. Then we turned to the bench.
Gracious, you have to be every
thing to be a gardener, don't you"
Stella laughed, as we tried to draw a
sketch first, which, should satisfy us.
THE bench ought to balance the old
Governor Winthrop highboy top of the
front door. But I'm sure don't know
how we're going to make it."
Patience" said I, turning the leaves
Of a catalogue of expensive marble
garden furniture "Just simple de-
sign of the classic period will do. Co.
lonial furniture was based on the
Greek ORDERS" .-.. Ne .v...,-
We found at last the picture of a
marble bench which could be dupli-
Gated in general outline with wooden
planking, SO I telephoned to the lum-
Der dealer In the next town for two "a
inch-wide chestnut planks, and was
fairly staggered by the bill when it
came. 1t appears that 24-inch-wide
plank nowadays has to come from
North Carolina, or some other distant
point, and is rarer than charity, at
least that is what they told me.
II think it would be cheaper in
MARBLE" said Stella "And 1t lOORs
to me as If you could make the bench
out Of one plank"
1--WE want another bench on the sun
dial lawn" said I, wisely.
you do now" said she.
"But II 1 hadn't got two planks,"
said I, land had spoiled the first one.
then we'd have had to wait two or
three days again."
"Oh, that was the reasonr' she
smiled.
I sawed one of the planks into one