$2 Download. Gardening by Myself. 1872 – 236p

PREF AC E.

Gardening by oneself is so lovely, and so

easy a thing, that I would fain have every body

try it. Do not mistake me : you can not

do everything without glass and garden ers,

and that convenient helper popularly

called " The Bank of England." But you

can do so much, that you may well be con tent

; and even be able to listen quietly to

some one giving an unlimited order for

priceless carnations, what though the

thought comes to you (as it did to me)

:

'* I had but three, my own seedlings, and a

grub eat up one of them."

The thought that there are two left, will

be very sweet to you, even then and there

Touchwood's label is not the worst that can

be put upon a plant

:

" A poor thing, sir, but mine own."

But there is no need of raising poor

things ; and you can hardly imagine, before hand,

how much dearer such friend-flowers

are, than any, even the most splendid, mere

acquaintances introduced by a professed

gardener.

I wish everybody had a garden, and

would work in it himself, — the world would

4 PREFACE.

grow sweeter-tempered at once. Why you

may deal with one great florist after an other,

(I know, for I have dealt with a good

many) and you will find nothing but cour tesy

and pleasant words from the beginning

to the end. No urging you to take what you

do not want, no clipping the measure of

what you buy ; but on the contrary, your

insignificant little orders are rounded out

with unexpected treasures. As if the florists

could not bear even to think of empty

gardens, while theirs were so full ; or else

had a sort of gentle sympathy for the peo ple

who expect to live upon fifty cents'

worth of flowers for a whole year.

I think it is Mr. Biglow who solaces him self

with " More last words." I know there

are many I might say. There are flower

names you will look for here, and not find.

The fair faces of my Campanula Lorei, look

at me reproachfully even now, from a dis tance;

with the pink Eucharidiums, just

unfolding their fresh colour. And there is

Viola Cornuta, and my superb new Gen.

Jacqueminot rose. But if I mentioned everything,

when should I have done? Not

till my book was altogether too big f or you

to buy. Shahweetah 28, 1872

GARDENING BY MYSELF.

JANUARY.

Pines, i f you're blue, are the best friends I know,

They mope an' sigh an' sheer your feelin's so. — Lowell,

I

THINK it is not

common to choose

this, month for a visit

to Fairyland. Yet, as

you never do thor oughly

know people

unless you have lived

with them, so neither ^

do you well appre- ^^

ciate Fairyland, unless ^/%'^;Jy^^<)sSV^

you have dwelt there ^<J R^"^ ^

all the year. All parts

of it indeed are not

open at all times ; and

just now an explorer ^^^^™'^-^^'^^^''^'''°'"^"^''''

J . c i^ v.^j^i.wi-^1

SHELL, WITH KENILWOKTH IVY.

must be content to tarry for awhile at the