THE 



VILLA GARDENER. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The enjoyments to be derived from a country residence depend principally 

 on a knowledge of the resources which a garden, however small, is capable 

 of affording. The benefits experienced by breathing air unconfined by close 

 streets of houses, and uncontaniinated by the smoke of chimneys ; the cheer- 

 ful aspect of vegetation ; the singing of birds in their season ; and the enliven- 

 ing effect of finding ourselves unpent-up by buildings, and in comparatively 

 unlimited space, are felt by most people : but these enjoyments are greatly 

 increased by the possession of a garden, in which the progress of vegetation 

 can be watched from day to day ; and in which the taste and fancy can be 

 exercised by continually forming new and beautiful scenes. 



Before proceeding to the garden itself, we shall endeavour to excite some 

 interest in its favour, and to show the solid advantages which may be derived 

 from a country residence; though on both these topics we shall bestow very 

 few words. 



There is a great deal of enjoyment to be derived from performing the 

 different operations of gardening, independently altogether of the health 

 resulting from this kind of exercise. To labour for the sake of arriving at a 

 result, and to be successful in attaining it, are, as cause and effect, attended 

 by a certain degree of satisfaction to the mind, however simple or rude the 

 labour may be, and however unimportant the result obtained. To be con- 

 vinced of this, we have only to imagine ourselves employed in any labour 

 from which no result ensues, but that of fatiguing the body, or wearying the 

 mind : the turning of a wheel, for example, that is connected with no machi- 

 nery, or, if connected, effects no useful purpose; the carrying of a weight 

 from one point to another and back again ; or the taking of a walk without 

 any object in view, but the negative one of preserving health. Thus, it is 

 not only a condition of our nature, that, in order to secure health and cheer- 

 fulness, we must labour ; but we must also labour in such a way as to produce 

 something useful or agreeable. Now, of the different kinds of useful things 

 produced by labour, those things, surely, which are living beings, and which 

 grow and undergo changes before our eyes, must be more productive of 

 enjoyment than such as are mere brute matter; the kind of labour, and other 

 circumstances being the same. Hence, a man who plants a hedge, or sows 



