Transcriber's Note
Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected. Variationsin hyphenation have been standardised but all other spelling andpunctuation remains unchanged.
The cover image was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain.
THE BUSY WOMAN'S
GARDEN BOOK
architectural scheme
THE BUSY WOMAN'S
GARDEN BOOK
BY
IDA D. BENNETT
BOSTON
SMALL, MAYNARD & COMPANY
PUBLISHERS
Copyright, 1920,
BY SMALL, MAYNARD & COMPANY
(INCORPORATED)
INTRODUCTION
This little book has a very definite aim—a bigaim too, though two little words or even one willserve to define it—To help, or better still, perhaps—helpfulness.It does not aim to tell everythingthere is to tell about gardening; that wouldbe encyclopedic and quite out of the scope of asmall, practical work on gardening, but it doesaim to give, in plain, everyday language sufficientand clear directions for caring for an ordinarykitchen garden in a way the least exhausting oftime and strength and with all unnecessary expenditureeliminated. It covers all necessarydetail except that of personal equation; that—DearWoman, when the spring time calls andyou go forth full of enthusiasm, is, in the languageof the day—"Up to you." Your garden willgive back to you just What you put into it—nomore, and the more you give to it the less it willexact of you; neglect it ever so little and it willviprove a hard taskmaster indeed, or a living reproach—areproach that will burgeon and bloomin noxious weeds and sickening plants, a gardenwhere the worm dieth not and the aphis and grubrevel undisturbed and unchecked.
There is nothing so easy as to keep a gardenin perfect order, free from weeds and perniciousinsect life, nothing easier than to have the reverseof this. One cannot garden successfully onthe principle that one can work in the gardenwhen there is nothing else to do, no one to playwith, nowhere to go. The garden should be firstto a certain extent, and this is not an arbitrary orexacting condition for the toll exacted is paid formany times over in the peace of mind that comesfrom work well and conscientiously done, to saynothing of the economic value of thrifty vegetables.
There are always critical times in the life ofthe garden;—the gardener must recognize theseand be prepared to give just the assistance thecondition requires at just the time it is required;if this is done promptly it will surprise one whoviihas had no system heretofore in the gardenwork to see how little time is really required tocare for a garden successful