latest acquisition. "The Butterfly Bush," probably so named on account
of its graceful stems, covered with spikes of tiny, lilac-colored
blossoms, over which continually hovered large, gorgeously-hued
butterflies, vying with the flowers in brilliancy of color, from early
June until late Summer.

Aunt Sarah's sunflowers, or "Sonnen Blume," as she liked to call them,
planted along the garden fence to feed chickens and birds alike, were
a sight worth seeing. The birds generally confiscated the larger
portion of seeds. A pretty sight it was to see a flock of wild
canaries, almost covering the tops of the largest sunflowers, busily
engaged picking out the rich, oily seeds.

Aunt Sarah loved the golden flowers, which always appeared to be
nodding to the sun, and her sunflowers were particularly fine, some
being as much as fifty inches in circumference.

A bouquet of the smaller ones was usually to be seen in a quaint, old,
blue-flowered, gray jar on the farm house veranda in Summertime.
Earlier in the season blossoms of the humble artichoke, which greatly
resemble small sunflowers, or large yellow daisies, filled the jar.
Failing either of these, she gathered large bouquets of golden-rod or
wild carrot blossoms, both of which grew in profusion along the
country lanes and roadside near the farm. But the old gray jar never
held a bouquet more beautiful than the one of bright, blue "fringed
gentians," gathered by Aunt Sarah in the Fall of the year, several
miles distant from the farm.