PREFACE. 



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 



