Flowers and Gardens 



taken up before they are ready, and 

 dwarfed for next season in consequence ; 

 small trees or shrubs transplanted care- 

 lessly, and thrust in wherever they will 

 do no harm, because a little too good to 

 throw away, and not quite good enough 

 to deserve just treatment; and many other 

 plants neglected, overshadowed, or in 

 some way stinted of their due, as not 

 being worth much trouble. At times, 

 even worse than this, we see murderous 

 digging and slashing amongst plants in 

 their period of growth. This is not a 

 healthy process for the mind. Whatever 

 is unfairly treated is better altogether 

 away, since we can view it with no hearty 

 relish. And this injustice to the least is 

 felt inevitably in a measure by all, for it 

 affects the spirit of the place. Half the 

 charm of the old-fashioned garden lies in 

 that look of happy rest among the plants, 

 each of which seems to say, All plant 

 life is sacred when admitted here. My 

 own repose has never been disturbed, and 

 I am confident it never will be." You 

 feel this to be a sort of haven of plant 

 life, preserved by some hidden charm from 

 the intrusion of noxious weeds. The 

 modern garden, on the contrary, is too apt 

 to assume a look of stir and change ; here 



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