Evening star., 1934-10-04

summer, as one may sometimes see.
The man who trims back his privet
in August is going to make 1t very
difficult for the roots to handle an
other cold Winter. If he did not
cut them back last Spring, he should
wait for the next.
The play of temperatures, the play
Of wet and dry, is an unending drama
to the spectator who is able to see II
as natural, not human. After all, the
gardener is an interloper in his own
garden. It is his and he plants it.
but, once he has done that, Nature
steps in and runs it. The operations
of growth are wholly in her care.
The cycle of the seasons Is q pageant
at which the gardener can be moth
ing but spectator. 1t Is up to him,
then. to be as good q spectator as
possible. He wants to see all that
goes on. The changing weather-now
warm, now cool, now rainy-is the
scenery, shifted by master hand.
The gardener who wants to get the
most entertainment out of his work
must put himself in the position of a
spectator at a play and not regard
himself as the stage manager en-
tirely, as he SO often wants to do
He is that, too, In sense and up to
certain point, but beyond that he
has no more to do with 1t than the
chance rabbit or squirrel that wan
ders in. These little actors of the
wildwood are characters he did not
contemplate. They, too, are Nature s
cbildran yvnn va r,dnr and off ho
stage as they will, adding a sense OF
something entirely appropriate to the
scene.
What the theme of this drama Is
no man has rightly guessed to date,
although many have attempted it,
and some have come nearer perhaps
than others to the correct title.
After all, the title of it makes little
difference. The plays the thing and
all the creatures of the garden-in-
cluding the gardener-are players
The cues are the bloming times OF
the various flowers. In a sense, the
reaA characters are these same bios
SONS, for every one when he thinks
of rose thinks of the flower itself.
And it is the same with the chrysan-
themum-one thinks of the fluffy
flower, whatever its color may be. The
gardener knows, however, that some
one must have thought Of the plant
previously, in order that any one could
think of the flower. 1t Is the same
with tulips and the other interesting
Spring Towering bulbs. Some one
must think enough of them in the
future to plant them now. Many
plants may be put in the ground now,
including various wild flowers, now
offered in profusion by specialists.
These wild flowers, so-called, are
mostly pure American material. That
is one reason why Americans should
plant more of them. but that is not
the only reason by any means; there
are many good reasons, chief of which
are these, that they are interesting
and they are beautiful. Some flowers
are interesting but not lovely; others
are beautiful enough but not interest
ing The typical wildfiower is almost al
ways both interesting, as a plant, and
beautiful to behold. 1t may not appeal
to the gardener who demands flash"
in his plants. but even he will find in
time that there is nothing prettier
than dog-tooth violets and the like.
Autumn is good time to plant these
and hundreds of other wildings. 1t
is Necessary to select q dry day. how
ever, If such can be found. This also
holds true for bulbs. The earth should
| not be wet when any of them are
planted. Bulbs should not be watered
after planting Wildhowers, mostly
having some tops, and plenty of roots,
should be watered copiously after
planting.