Evening star., 1933-01-12

pridefuIly thinks that he has mastered
every inch of the ground.
1t is true that he said, Let there be
violets here-just plain, common, beau
tiful old-fa,hioned violets."
But did he ever envision in half its
beauty the resulting masterpiece, where
formerly an cid clay bank reared its
ugly self?
He said, LET there be violets," and
there we're violets, but with the actual
creation he had nothing to do. When
friends come around and praise the
small slope he smiles in the manner of
the Office boy who, asked If the manager
is in, replies, What can do fer you?"
All this is In no sense a plea against
planning, for planning is essential, but
simply warning against expecting too
much of ones self as a gardener, and
especially of the possibilities of small
pace.
You can't do much in a few square
feet, and that Is the truth. And
whsther the average person could do
much, even II he had a farm, Is doubt
full, because the much" in this case
would demand a degree Of knowledge
which he probably doesn't possess and
an amount Of money which he does not
have.
The main thing Is to be satisfied with
the effect one secures, If it be well in
tended, and even half realized.
This is in no sense the program Of a
garden defeatist. It Is simply looking
at the home garden as it most often is
There are few horticultural dreams to
be seen. Even places of which their
owners are proud seldom show much
except the tendency Of mankind to
beast over nothing much They are
like collectors Of small tropical fish,
who, having managed to keep their pets
alive and fairly healthy under the ad-
verse and unnatural conditions of even
the best managed aquariums, sit back
and take all the credit unto themselves.
One might think they made the fish.
If one faces the problem Of garden
planning at the low point of January,
one will be able to see many matters in
their proper perspective.
One Is that gardening Is done for
Spring and Summer, really.
No matter how many evergreens one
may have, or how many bushes with
red berries on 'em, or what colcred
boughs, the true inmates Of the garden
flourish in the warm season composed
Of the latter half Of true Spring and
the first half, or even all, Of true Sum-
mer.
1t is for this time that the garden
exists, try as hard as we may to dis
guise the fact There are, OF course,
many other delights of gardening, but
the real pleasures and the real beauties
flourish in what may be Jumped of as
Summer.
1t is for Summer that we garden
at all.
Even the trees delight In the hot
season. The grass responds to 1t with
proper help. Natures best floral dis
plays come then.
While it is well to have garden out
lines, as it were. at all times of the
year, mostly these will take care Of
Themselves If the gardener has planned
we'll for his Summertime blooming.
The mixed garden of trees, shrubs q
few evergreens and many flowers against
background of good lawn still remains
the best garden. It Is garden planned
beforehand for the warm days Of Sum-
mer.
The idea at this time Is to keep this
ideal well in mind so that mental pic
lures may be created well IN advance
! of the actual towering.
If the gardener does not expect too
much of himself, as a gardener, nor Of
his garden, as a garden, he will stand a
better chance of being pleased when
Summer comes.