the
ground has been treated as in the case of the vegetable bed.

When you have accomplished this work of preparation set your line six
inches from the side of the bed nearest your vegetables, or the patch
between the two beds. Make a shallow furrow the full length of the bed
with your pointed stick. In this furrow sow your flower seeds of some
low-growing plant such as _sweet alyssum_. Then move your line back
toward the other side of the bed one foot. Here you should place some
taller plants, such as _asters_. The aster plants should have been
raised in the house, or purchased from some grower. Again move your line
one foot nearer the rear margin of your bed and in this row plant your
tallest plants. _Dahlias_ or _cosmos_ would be very effective. You must
get the roots for the dahlias somewhere. Cosmos is planted from seeds.
In planting the dahlias it would be well to dig a hole for each plant so
deep that when the root is set it will be two or three inches below the
surface of the ground. Good results will be obtained if before putting
in the roots you put a handful or two of good manure in the hole and
sprinkle a little soil over it.

I have mentioned these particular plants simply as specimens. Other
choices may be made and a suggested list is given at the end of this
section. But whatever the selection, two things should be kept in mind.
First, that the rows should contain plants that vary in height, the
lowest being placed in the front row, the tallest at the back; and
second, that plants should be chosen that will be in bloom at the same
time, for at least a part of the season.

If your work has been well done you ought to have a small bed of
vegetables, thrifty, in straight rows, well cultivated, clean, and back
of that, looking from the side, another bed of flowering plants that
should be a delight to the eye, especially the eye of the possessor and
maker. Of course, the beds will not present this perfect appearance for
a long time because as the vegetables are used the beds will show where
the vegetables have been removed. It should be mentioned, however, that
it is possible to have more than one planting of radishes in a season;
also of lettuce, and these may be replaced after the first planting has
been used.

There are many satisfactions in gardening. The intimacy with nature
furnishes one of them. To be with growing things through all the stages
of their growth, in all weathers and all hours of the da