Gardening in War Times 
By Joseph J. Lane 
FOR those of us who must remain at 
home, it is a duty to those others that 
we Hvc sane and calm hves, that wc may 
be able at every opportunity to render 
the fullest measure of service to our 
boys at the front. Calmness and sanity 
are products of natural living. To be 
effective in troublous times means that 
we must hold to those things of life 
which bring contentment and restora- 
tion of spirit. 
The Maker placed Adam and Eve in a 
garden. Presumably it was His in- 
tention that a gardcTi should furnish 
the greatest happiness and the loveliest 
surroundings in this life. 
Wc who love gardens have reason to 
be thankful. Gardening is relaxation. 
The refining and soothuig effects of 
digging in a garden are the more keenly 
to be appreciated in war times because 
of the comparison such work affords 
to the echoes of the cannon and the 
strife of war. Nature's wholesome 
breath is like a benediction. 
We who make gardening our hobby 
are glad of the broadened appreciation 
of our hobby brought about by the 
Government urging the people to plant 
gardens. We are proud, too, because 
of the liappiness and contentment our 
new-found co-workers have discovered 
in growing things. Because our broth- 
ers are "over there" is no reason why 
we should expect the sun to stop shin- 
ing, the beaiities of Nature to cease 
nor the songs of birds to be stilled. 
Flower gardening is just as necessary 
in these tear times as vegetable gardening. 
Flowers are food for the soul, stabilizers of 
the emotions. More than ever do we need 
these things now — these signs of the Mak- 
er's goodness and love. 
All of which leads up to the thought 
that it is correct and proper to plant 
flowers and grow beautiful things. 
God intended that flowers should give 
us eheerfidjiess. AVas there ever a 
time when cheerfulness was more needed 
than in these days when so much is 
happenmg to unsettle our thoughts? 
Grow flowers! Grow more flowers! 
Cilrow still more flowers! Preach the 
gospel of beauty and naturalness to 
all about you! Allow your friends, 
allow j'our fellow men. allow even 
your enemies to enjoy your flowers and 
all will be drawn nearer to each other 
and to the Creator. 
Gardening for flowers, for beauty, for 
naturalness, tvill never be listed as a non- 
essential in the lives of the American 
people. It is as necessary a feature of 
wholesome lives as good fresh air and 
sunshine. 
Reprinted by courtesy of Garden Magazine, 
