CHAPTER XXXIV 



SUBURBAN GARDENING 



Snubbing a greenfly here, a wireworm there, a tender tie to a 

 tender shoot, a stout stake to a strong one. 



I AM one of those who believe that flowers at least many 

 flowers, nearly all those that count in the making of a 

 beautiful garden can be grown almost if not quite as 

 well in the suburbs as in the country. They need a little 

 more care, perhaps, a little closer attention at critical 

 moments, snubbing a greenfly here, a wireworm there, a 

 tender tie to a tender shoot, a stout stake to a strong 

 one but what does it all mean? Why, just a closer 

 acquaintance with the flowers one grows, an acquaint- 

 ance that ripens to friendship, and through friendship 

 reaches love. 



How first shall we proceed so that the garden shall 

 be different from others, express something of our 

 thoughts, and have an individuality of its own ? The 

 more closely it approximates to the ideal that is enshrined 

 in the owner's mind the greater charm will it possess. 

 Each of us has, I think, an ideal enshrined ; the suburban 

 gardener's difficulty is to give practical expression to 

 his ideal, and more often than not his failure is due to 

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