“THE GARDENER’S YEAR”

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22805, 2 September 1939, Page 18

“THE GARDENER’S YEAR”

—*— ~v : m IMPROVING 'ON CAPEK.iIf' *0 THE EDITOa OF THB rBEBS; Sir, I’m a gardener,,l am, not a litterateur, but I have my aspirations in the second capacity; anq a often pleases me to feel that, as a careful reader of the “City Beautiful,” I grind (as it were) two axes'; with one stone., On one and the same page, often I can learn howto control the Flea Beetle, hateful lover of my Brassica crops, beetroot, carrots, celery, and onions, and can pick, up gems of poetry like n

“Presence of mind and courage ~ii.

Are than armies to procure success,” - so that Dryden inspires me in the use of Derr is. ■ . "A V.So when I found an article agadefc. “Gardens: As Writers See Thox. in ( the June issue, I began it jPiWi birectly, though, it appeared that V, had less to acquire in literary scholi; arship than I had hoped; for thL article was about the CzecA| gardener,’.Karl: Kapek, w^ orr *& knew as Karel Capek, scarcely leg famous Czech author, and about book, “The Gardener’s Year,” which I knew, too. But it was.a pleasure.: still—a pleasure that I give myself every few months,. in fact—to resu the quotations. Here is one, as th|| “City Beautiful” article presentp4| it; ;■ : p '■; vA I will now tell you how to recognise a real gardener. A real guru*, ener says, “I will show you my garden.” Then when * you go just -to please him, you will find him with hv bent body sticking up somewhere., among the perennials. “I will cornea., a moment” he shoUtS to you over WS j shoulder, “just wait till I have this rose.” “Please don’t worry, you. say kindly to him. , After a while he must have planted, it; for he gets up. beams with hospitality, and says. “Come and have a looK, it's a small garden, but— wait .a .mo-.; meht,” and he bends over a bed to, weed some tiny grass. Come I will show you Dianthus, M u |a la ,® V ' will open your eyes. Great Seotti i forgot to loosen;it here!" he says, _and, begins to poke in -the soil. A. luarte of In hour later he says. “Ah, I wanted to show you that belhflower, ula Wilsonae. ..This is the .-brat Cam panula which-wait a moment, I ing,) tie up this delphinium. na» tied it up, he says, Oh! I remember.. You have come to see that podium a moment.” he murmurs transplant this Aster, it hasn t enougn room here.” After that you gci«M on tiptoe, leaving his up amon ff the perennials. And w ■. ■ you meet him again he will must come to see me; I have one ros?,,, in flower you have not seen beiore. .Will you come? Do.” A

There, I thought, rubbing Hollands with gleg,,there go I, i«wer God’s blessing; there go my rival , and friends, comical, mnocaA . earnest, crazy, charming enthusiasts, all; there we ; are, our figure STICK ing up ; among the Perennials, , o bent body ... . • N .°«, J is The picture’s not right, something i missing, something is false. W is that “Gardener’s Year ? k I take dbwri the little green bow and on p. 12 I find the true scrip' “Then, when you go just to pleas® him, you will find him with his rump sticking up somewhere among. »,* .. P A e n r di al read on’,’and over the pig. . . , “After that you go away o" tip toe, leaving his behind sticKing, up among the perennials.” So I make my protest. I m a ga? dener, I am (as I said), not a Imeja : , teur; but if my rump, if every decen . gardener’s rump, sticking the perennials, is too coarse «>r “City Beautiful,” then TVm Prepare ; to be coarse with Cap® and l ea nti coy improvements and refinemen to my once trusted guide. in two All I ask is that it should hereaf e take the apter name of the Bashful.” Yours, etc., i gAWFl ,y. August 27, 1939. 1 / ’ . ■=&==**"