"It will generally be found that far greater 

 pleasure is derived from what we do ourselves than 

 from what others do for us. This rule applies 

 especially to gardening ; no fruit, vegetables, or 

 flowers seem half so fine as those we have planted or 

 cultivated ourselves. The actual labour required 

 soon becomes pleasant, and till it has been tried, no 

 one can tell the delight we take in watching and 

 waiting for the effects of the work of our own 

 hands. 



" I love my garden well, 

 And find employment there ; 

 Employment sweet for many an hour, 

 In tending every shrub and flower 

 With still unwearied care. 



" It is not to be denied that there is great satis- 

 faction to be derived from the skilful labours of 

 others, and much gratification obtained by having a 

 regular gardener, but let those who have gardens, 

 and yet cannot afford this luxury, comfort themselves 

 by the thought that the actual enjoyment of garden- 

 ing, as of most other pursuits, is greater in proportion 

 to the pains we have actually taken in it. ... 

 It seems rather a discouraging hint to set out with, 

 but I suspect it is a true one, that we must submit 

 to learn by failure. Somehow these disagreeable 

 lessons make a deeper impression on us, set us to 

 discover the cause of the failure, and produce fore- 

 thought in a way no other experience does. I believe 

 however, that many disappointments in gardening 

 might be avoided by amateurs if they would moderate 

 their desires, and would not expect that unskilled 

 labour should produce results equal to the efforts of 



