FLOWER GARDEN.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1749, 13 September 1905, Page 60

FLOWER GARDEN.

“ Why should not every one have a flower in his window ?” said old Oliver Goldsmith in one of his charming essays. And why should every one not have many flowers in his garden as well as cabbages and potatoes may 1 be said as a New Zealand variant of the gentle scribe’s query. “He who has flowers in his garden has flowers in his heart,” is another echo which comes to him who writes upon the subject. It may safely be promised to the man or woman who begins the culture of flowers that endless simple delight and interest will be the sure reward. And how easy, too, it is to begin, much easier indeed than leaving off. One never want® to leave off. Only a packet or two of seed, a cutting gleaned here and a root there, and a new joy comes into many a hum-drum life. To begin with, sweet-soented flowers are best. For some reason,, probably a hygienic' one, Nature has taught man to love certain odours- These were developed by flowers by a process of selection as >an attraction to insects, the end in view being fertilisation, and the propagation of species. Man, though not one of Nature’s instruments in this respect, learned also to love the perfume® of the rose,, the wallflower, the stock, violets, mignonette, sweet peas narcissi, hyacinths, freesias, sweet alyssum primroses, and a host of other®. These or any of them are good for an amateur gardener to begin with. To them he may add, the evening primrose, the evening stock, and nicotiana affinis—the white tobacco — which unfold their petals as the dark creeps on, and make their neighbourhood swim in sweet odours. For shrubs, a sweet briar, a diosma ericoides, a scented verbena, a lilac, give forth perfumed pleasure never to be forgotten. Tackle your bit. of neglected ground then, cottager; and good grower of fine parsnips and potatoes, give a thought to floral beauty, too. Make a start with a few flowers, and ypu will. nerver go hack on them, or they on you.