THE AMATEUR GARDEN 



lieve which is not in some way finer than the 

 reality it simulates. In other words, imitation 

 should always be in the nature of an amiable 

 condescension. Whatever falseness, pretension 

 or even mere frailty or smallness, suggests to the 

 eye the ineffectuality of a toy is out of place in 

 any sort of gardening." We do not actually 

 speak all this, but we imply it, and we often find 

 that the mere utterance of the one word, "toy 

 gardening," has a magical effect to suggest all the 

 rest and to overwhelm with contrition the bad 

 taste and frivolity of many a misguided attempt 

 at adornment. At that word of exorcism joints 

 of cerulean sewer-pipe crested with scarlet ge- 

 raniums, rows of whited cobbles along the walk 

 or drive like a cannibal's skulls around his hut, 

 purple paint-kegs of petunias on the scanty door- 

 steps, crimson wash-kettles of verbenas, ant-hill 

 rockeries, and well-sweeps and curbs where no 

 wells are, steal modestly and forever into obliv- 

 ion. 



Now, when we so preach we try also to make 

 it very plain that there is not one set of rules for 

 gardening on a small scale of expense in a small 

 piece of ground, and another set for gardening on 



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