The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1868-10-16
About Gardens.

We don't mean vegetable gardens il this
writing, but ornamental gardens that we
consider indispensable to a well-ordered
homestead. Neither do we mean aristocrat-
ic gardens, widening out into parks, re-
quiring the labor Of several men to keep
them in good condition. Every owner of
land, to the extent of few acres, can have
a little paradise about his house of from
quarter of an acre to one, two or three
acres, according to the extent of his farm,
and it will be of very little expense or trou-
BILE The Pail Mall Gazette has been dis
coursing on this subject, and we quote the
following:
If rightly placed, garden to be full Of
delight need be no more than broad and
ample piece of well-kept lawn, with flower
borders and fragrant hedges. All that you
want is a soft and pleasant carpet for the
feet, little pieces of bright colors for the
eye, gracious prospects, and the perfume of
honeysuckle, thyme and the like. There
must also be a sheltered walk with gravel
for the winter days and nights. But it is a
vile blunder to cut garden up with grav-
ell walks, which are pleasant to no sense
And the worst of it is that in not one gar
den of a hundred are these walks broad
enough for three persons to be abreast with
full comfort. People unaccountably prefer
a couple of narrow strips to one broad al
ley. And it is hardly less blunder to take
up space with cralily devised flower beds
of many cunning combinations. AS Bacon
says of the similar knots of figures in his
time: ''You may see as good sights many
times in tarts." For the main point in a
garden, if it is to be for the great refresh
ment OF the spirit of man, is simplicity.
The simpler it is, the fewer chances there
are Of its getting out of order, and so dis
turbiug the eye and mind Of its possessor.
To idle men who have nothing better to do
than to make the garden business, this
will not count. But to busy and absorbed
men, the avoidance of every slight root of
irritation and the corresponding gain of Sc
renity are worth any thing. Nor are COM
pick and artificial pleasures ever really
soothing. They may distract or divert, but
the use of a garden is that it diverts with
out stimulating. It composes the mind,
even in the midst of grayest cares, to
wholesome PassivitY.
The anxiety of the world, cares of bust
ness, excitement of politics, are reduced
and paled in a man who can enjoy the
sweetness of a homely garden. But gar
den that is a show place or the imitation Of
a show place is no more refreshing to the
spirit of sensible man than the sight of
ball room crowded with beauties and dan
dies. Il only requires a httle courage in
withstanding the gardener, who is invaria-
bly, the worst of professional pedants. They
are all more or less like that gardener Of
whom Mrs. Poyser said that he was as a
cock who should think that the sun had
risen on purpose to hear him crow. But
the delight Of having garden, grassy, sim
pie, aud "plain in it's neatness." is worth
any number of decisive ruptures with these
too superior beings.
The farmer or suburban citizen can plant
groups Of fruit trees in such lawn which
will answer all the purpose of shade trees,
and by properly blending the different sor: s
of fruit tress, so as to make an agreeable
blending of different shades of color, with
variety in the growth, the beauty Of the
group will be increased. These tree would
pay for all the trouble of planting and cult
waiting the smaller towering shrubbery
roses, &c, &c, that should be scattered
about in the lawn iD groups The chiefla-
Dor after such garden Is established. is
the moving of the lawn several times dur
ing the season; but the grass should pay
for cutting it. Such garden would be a
constant temptation to the wife and daugh-
ters TO care ior its beauties in helping to
dress, and still further sdorn it, The mor-
al influence Of such garden might be spo-
en- of to great length; but We only drop
the hint lust now