The Ideal Garden. just a false bottom at the proper depth. Of course this should be pierced with large holes for drainage. The soil should be rich and open, i.e., it should allow water to pass freely, otherwise it will become stagnant or sour. 39 street dust. Very broad-leaved plants, as Caladiums, are scarcely suitable for exposed positions, as they will be torn by winds. The flower garden, proper, must be planted very much according to the special conditions of the grounds. The first requisite is, of course, that it shall please the taste of the owner, and it is only of less importance that it shall not be arranged or planted so as to be an excessive tax on one's purse or attention. There is a host of plants suitable for such boxes, and they need not be rare or valuable, as the aim is for general effect, and not to show the beauty of any special plant. The florists grow an assortment of plants suitable for window boxes at low prices. A visit to the nearest dealer will enable one to make The bane of gardening to those who a suitable selection. If the boxes are do not employ a competent gardener is on a shady side, no attempt should be the annoyance of supervising the casmade to grow flowering plants. Fill ual helper-the wholesale destroyer of these boxes with plants that have grace unfamiliar plants. Much of this anof form, such as ferns, dracenas, and noyance may be spared if thorough small palms. The front of the box may preparation of the beds is made before be draped by the variegated vines, the planting, and annual digging and overvariegated English ivy, or the little turning of the borders is interdicted. silvery Gill-over-the-ground (Glechoma If borders are properly prepared by hederacea Var.), by something bright deep planting, proper drainage, and enand gay, in fact. In the sunlight one riching, they do not require a renewal may venture on stronger effects, and each season, but may be cultivated by usually, the brighter and richer in color, stirring of surface, where not covered, the more satisfactory they will prove. and an occasional mulch. A garden When a thing is ostensibly for show, it may be neat and well cared for without may as well frankly carry out its pur- showing traces of painstaking labor, pose. Summer flowering Geraniums are and plants will grow well without conmost persistent bloomers, as are the tinual disturbance of the borders with Fuchsias. Madame Salleroi and Ma- the hoe and rake. dame Pollock are excellent geraniums for front rows, the former having silvery, and the latter bronze-red, foliage. The dwarf Cannas, Star of 91, and Mad. Crozy are also effective plants in masses. In very sunny places, the richly colored Crotons will prove rare attractions. In short, one may, with some study, devise a color effect which will attract attention. For trailers one can use the Nasturtiums, the variegated Vinca, variegated Ivy, white Petunias, etc. Care should be taken to select flowers of harmonious shades, and preference should be given to plants with smooth leaves, as these will not retain It will be well to have borders with different textures of earth, some rather heavy and others light, to please different classes of plants. But this is not as important as deep digging and careful breaking up of the soil, so that roots may penetrate easily. There are places and conditions in gardens where formality and trimly-clipped plants are entirely in character, but in a general way informal plantings and natural growths are more pleasing. The ideal garden holds one's interest by a constant succession of agreeable changes as the seasons pass, always a pleasant picture in the present, and above all an anticipation of glories are a migratory people, and usually the to come. It is not only the crops which one secures from the garden, but often dainty pictures - perhaps caught in a passing glance-that will cheer the busy worker amid the worries of a trying day. first indication of summer finds most of the population seeking a change. Generally, the garden will be enjoyed. more in the spring and fall. It will be often satisfactory to have the garden at its best at these seasons. In the A Succession of Early Spring Flowers. sunlight in succession, till the Cross of Gold and other crocuses awake from their sleep. A beautiful effect can be gained by planting the later crocuses in the lawns in liberal clumps. As the sun rises higher in the heavens, other plants quicken; the early bulbous Irises, the dainty blue Scillas, the azure Glory of the Snow (Chionodoxas) and the daintily tipped Snowflakes. The brighter tones are given by the Golden Winter Aconite and afterward by the wealth of Daffodils. The Daffodils are the first prominent or large flowers of the year, and from March to late May a good collection will enliven the garden. They vary in size from dainty bells, fit for a fairy thimble, to veritable cups and saucers of the commonplace world. Among them are beautiful tones of whites and yellows, singly and in the greatest number of combinations. Soon following the Daffodils, appear the first Tulips and the Hyacinths. If properly planted, one can scarcely have too many of these showy flowers. Tulips are a host in themselves, and there are not only many hybrids, single and double, early and late, but beautiful species from many parts. Hyacinths, though lacking beauty of form, yield gay masses of color. It seems a mistake to plant these flowers in formal rows and in beds of single variety and color, to be ruined, perhaps, by the rain of a day. Better plant more deftly, so that the glories can be enjoyed for many days, and every day a change of effect, never any very dazzling show, but always a bright glow of flowers relieved by the tender leaves. Some days we shall glory in tones of white, other days the yellow flowers will be in evidence-to be, perhaps, mingled with or overpowered by the rosy beauties. As the season nears the end the rich, deep-colored flowers of the 41 planted together for special clumps, and plant the others, as happens, informally and quite close together. Hyacinths, singles being best for garden, may be planted informally in the foreground. Daffodils may be scattered singly or in groups, and in the front row we will have little colonies of Snowdrops, Spring Snowflakes, the Siberian Squills, Chionodoxas, the Wood Hyacinth, etc., and then we will carpet the ground with Creeping Charley (Moneywort) to produce its bright garden from June on is by the growth. flowers, while the leaves of the bulbs of annuals from seed. From these one are ripening. These bulbs are all may have flowers in abundance to sathardy and do not require a mulch in isfy one's wildest desires and at comthis latitude. Elwes's Snowdrops often paratively small expense. Even if one flower in January, and from then to has a garden well filled with hardy early June such a bed should convey plants, annuals cannot be omitted ensome pleasing impressions every day. tirely, as many of them are among the About the time these plants begin most cherished flowers and are quite to wane the roses will distract one's indispensable. They enable us also to attention. double crop our gardens in many places, and this should be an aim always in view, either with hardy or annual plants. When the early flowers are past something should be maturing near them to keep up a succession of beauty. When the foliage of bulbs matures, if one does not care to remove them, there should be young plants of annual Poppies, or something not requiring much moisture, coming on to cover the beds. The Oriental Poppy matures early in the summer, shows its great scarlet flowers, and ripens its leaves. Something should be planted in front of it which is of later growth and will mask the bare space. Of course no garden is complete without Roses, and the wealth of variety of these is so great that one is embarrassed to name even a few. For the very earliest we have the white Japanese beauty (Rosa rugosa), which easily leads the family. The owner of a large garden may indulge in a luxuriance of beautiful forms upon which there is little space here to dwell. The owner of a small garden will find his profit mostly in cultivating the summer-flowering Tea - roses, which produce continuous crops of fine flowers, with the addition, perhaps, of some old favorites like the Crested Moss, the Yellow Austrian, and the old Hermosa. La France seems to be the only hybrid To return to the annuals. A good Tea-rose reliably hardy in this latitude, selection of these, including a few perbut other Teas may be wintered safely ennials, which flower the first year from in a pit or will even do well covered with seed, will include Sweet Alyssum, China leaves, if well drained. However, the Asters, Calendulas (single and double), plants are as cheap as bedding plants, Calliopsis, Marguerite Carnations, and are readily replaced if one does Chrysanthemum coronarium, Ragged not care to trouble with them. In a Sailor (Centaurea cyanus), Cosmos, Single milder climate one can, of course, en- Dahlias (Tom Thumb), Japanese Pinks large the list of plants very materially. single, Yellow Sweet Sultan, Gypsophila In buying these plants it seems bet- paniculata, Dwarf Miniature Sunflowter to secure a number of each variety ers, Marigolds, Mignonette, etc., Night rather than an extensive assortment. Blooming Tobacco (Nicotiana affinis), Do not be misled into choosing flor- Nasturtiums, dwarf and tall, Pansies, ists' kinds, which are those which have Hybrid Sweet Scented Pansies, Popproven to be only desirable under pies, Sweet Peas, Torenia Fourneri, glass. It may be added that rose bor- and Zinnias. These will include about ders should not occupy a prominent all the annuals easily grown which are location, as the flowers will be mostly valuable not only for the garden but used for cutting. for use as cut flowers. Of course the The simplest method of filling the seedsmen supply numerous varieties |