Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-07-27
THE CULTIVATION OF A GARDEN.

THE CULTIVATION OF GARDEN.
Every man, rich or poor, in town or country,
should cultivate some piece Of ground, no matter
how small, and have something either useful or
beautiful growing in it. if it be within the scope
Ofpossibility. No man, woman or child, should
esteem il a sufficient plea that they do not know
how. Let them get one of Landreth' s Almanacs
or Dreer's list of garden plants, and try exper-
iments. They will soon learn. Let none say
theycannOt take an interest in such matters or
that they have no time. An interest will speed-
lily arise with little experience, and then the
time will be found, and it will re-invigorate
many warm frame and many worldly and
care-cOrrodcd heart, with the freshness of a Sec
Ond youth, and the vigOr of an carly spring. In
city like this. there is many a man whose head
IS turning prematurely gray with care and
business, and who feels, alas, that his heart is
becoming gray and blaSe. even faster than his
head, who would feel all his powers bloom again.
and his sensibilities refreshed by little gar
dening as by nothing else.
The wealthy, of course, all cultivate their
gardens in one sense; that is, they have their
gardeners, who do it for them, and they walk
around with their friends on Sabbath after
noon. perhaps, and criticise and admire, and
order a fresh lot of flowers from Landreth at
the request of their wives, only grumbling
little. possibly, rs they foot the BILL the items
Ot which have no interest for them. Perhars
nine gentlemen out Of ten who do this, have no
real sense of the delight which many poor
family take in some of the simplest howerE,
merely because they have themselves watched
and cultivated them. Every one will find the
personal cultivation of the earth a source Of
daily and increasing interest, whether n
larger or smaller scale, for ornament or for use,
according to his means his technical knowledge,
and his other opportunities
The rich and the poor will find this one Of the
most improving, profitable and pleasant of all
TecrcatiOns, whatever their daily employment
n hn h,,k -
grown In box Of earth outside a garret win
dow, 1t will shed fragrance that will human
Ize and refine all who lodge within
One OF the chief advantages of the garden is
that 1t will offer recreations of such an infinite
variety, that. no matter what may be a man s
humor, or how tired he may be of other things,
he can still find something useful to do for il
that will be pleasant at the time and yield its
fruit after many days. All the family, too, can
unite IN the labor and enjoyment of the garden
- In no other recreation, from the little child
to the grandparent. 1t will attach the poor man
To his home, and will save his more wealthy
neIShbor ten times more than it costs every
year, as a substitute for expensive journeys to
costly watering places, where nothing is to be
found but the designations and fatigueS of the
city, transported at vast expense into the coun-
try How much more advantageous to transport
the beauties and benefits Of the country into
one own premises.
garden creates a taste for simple pleasures
Those flowers and trees that may or may not
interest the passing stranger, will always be
looked upon with interest and affection by the
eye Of him who planted them with his own hand
This love of natural beauties is the best antag,
Onist to the love of artificial stimulating and ~
pcnSlve excitcmentS. Consider the lilies how
they grow" said the wisest and the holiest,
while aiming to produce simplicity alike of
faith and Of tasth-''thcy toll not neither do
they SPIN, yet Solomon in all his glory was not
arrayed like one Of these"
One great source Of pleasure in n garden is
that 1t subsidies the forces of all nature
These work for the man who works for them
and that, too, while he sleeps and cats and is
otherwise engaged. All the increase is clear
gain to human happiness. No one is made
poorer by what is thus gained, but the whole
world Is 80 much the better and happier.
Nothing teaches patience like a garden All
have to wait FOG the fruits of the earth You
may go round and watch the opening bud from
day to day, but it takes its own time and YOU
cannot urge 1t on faster than it will. If forced,
1t Is only torn to pieces. AL the best results Of
a garden, like those Of life are SLOWLY prO-
gresSive. Each year does Il work that nothing
but n year can do. Learn to labor and to
wait, is one of the best lessons of a garden
All that is good takes time, and comes only by
growth.
Hence, garden attaches man permanently
to his home. 1t is kind of sheet anchor, that
by thousand little roots and tendrils numer-
Gus as those Of the trees he has planted And
this is one of its most valuable properties A
rolling stone gathers no moss, and we Ameri-
cans are too ready to pull up stakes, and sell
our brick and mortar, our furniture, and our
land, that We may move to the ends Of the earth
on the vaguest rumors of slight advantages
Thousands thus 60 the West to die disappointed
or to return impoverished, who might have
steadily prOSPered had they only been content
with their own State. We want more ties to
bind US fast in these days of steamboats, and
railrOads.
When Gulliver went to LiIliput he awoke
and found that the tiny inhabitants had driven
stakes into the earth, and made them fast to the
separate hairs of his head, so that, while he
could lie still pleasantly enough, let him but
attempt to move, and il was at the expense of a
thousand little pains, each in itself surmounta-
BILE, but the whole together forming a strong
premium upon remaining quiet. Every plant
and tree and flower Of garden kept and cult
waited by ones own hand becomes such n tie to
one quiet spot around your own dwelling
Phil. Ledgey