Gardening is a luxury occupation;

an ornament,

not a necessity of life.

The farmer is not at all

concerned with the eventual

beauty of his corn

as a feature in the landscape,

though, indeed, he gets a certain

satisfaction out if it,

as he leans against his gate

on a summer evening and sees

his acres gently curving to the

breeze.

Still beauty is not

his primary aim;

the gardener's is.

Fortunate gardener,

who may preoccupy himself

solely with beauty in these

difficult and ugly days!

He is one of the few people

left in this distressful world to

carry on the tradition of

elegance and charm.

A useless member of society,

considered in terms of economics,

he must not be denied his

rightful place.

He deserves to share it,

however humbly

with the painter and the poet.

~Vita Sackville-West~