274 HOME AND GARDEN 



wish to grow many more than just those I have, 

 but if I do not find a place where my critical garden 

 conscience approves of having any one plant I would 

 rather be without it. It is better to me to deny 

 myself the pleasure of having it, than to endure the 

 mild sense of guilt of having placed it where it neither 

 does itself justice nor accords with its neighbours, and 

 where it reproaches me every time I pass it. 



I feel sure that it is in a great measure just 

 because this is so little understood, that gardens 

 are so often unsatisfactory and uninteresting. If 

 owners could see, each in their own garden, what is 

 the thing most worth doing, and take some pains to 

 work out that one idea or group of ideas, gardens 

 would not be so generally dull and commonplace. 



Often in choosing plants and shrubs people begin 

 the wrong way. They know certain things they 

 would like to have, and they look through catalogues 

 and order these, and others that they think, from the 

 description, they would also like, and then plant 

 them without any previous consideration of how or 

 why. 



Often when I have had to do with other people's 

 gardens they have said : " I have bought a quantity 

 of shrubs and plants ; show me where to place them ; " 

 to which I can only answer : " That is not the way 

 in which I can help you ; show me your spaces and 

 I will tell you what plants to get for them." 



Many places that would be beautiful if almost left 



