The contents of my Bungalow1 gave material for some "Legends" which perhaps are not yet universally forgotten. I have added few curiosities to the list since that work was published. My days of travel seem to be over; but in quitting that happiest way of life—not willingly—I have had the luck to find another occupation not less interesting, and better suited to grey hairs and stiffened2 limbs. This volume deals with the appurtenances of my Bungalow, as one may say—the orchid3-houses. But a man who has almost forgotten what little knowledge he gathered in youth about English plants does not readily turn to that higher branch of horticulture. More ignorant even than others, he will cherish all the superstitions4 and illusions which environ the orchid family. Enlightenment is a slow process, and he will make many experiences before perceiving his true bent5. How I came to grow orchids6 will be told in this first article.
The ground at my disposal is a quarter of an acre. From that tiny area deduct7 the space occupied by my house, and it will be seen that myriads8 of good people dwelling9 in the suburbs, whose garden, to put it courteously10, is not sung by poets, have as much land as I. The aspect is due north—a grave disadvantage. Upon that side, from the house-wall to the fence, I have forty-five feet, on the east fifty feet, on the south sixty feet, on the west a mere11 ruelle. Almost every one who works out these figures will laugh, and the remainder sneer12. Here's a garden to write about! That area might do for a tennis-court or for a general meeting of Mr. Frederic Harrison's persuasion13. You might kennel14 a pack of hounds there, or beat a carpet, or assemble those members of the cultured class who admire Mr. Gladstone. But grow flowers—roses—to cut by the basketful, fruit to make jam for a jam-eating household the year round, mushrooms, tomatoes, water-lilies, orchids; those Indian jugglers who bring a mango-tree to perfection on your verandah in twenty minutes might be able to do it, but not a consistent Christian15. Nevertheless I affirm that I have done all these things, and I shall even venture to make other demands upon the public credulity.
When I first surveyed my garden sixteen years ago, a big Cupressus stood before the front door, in a vast round bed one half of which would yield no flowers at all, and the other half only spindlings. This was encircled by a carriage-drive! A close row of limes, supported by more Cupressus, overhung the palings all round; a dense16 little shrubbery hid the back door; a weeping-ash, already tall and handsome, stood to eastward17. Curiously18 green and snug19 was the scene under these conditions, rather like a forest glade20; but if the space available be considered and allowance be made for the shadow of all those trees, any tiro can calculate the room left for grass and flowers—and the miserable21 appearance of both. Beyond that dense little shrubbery the soil was occupied with potatoes mostly, and a big enclosure for hens.
First I dug up the fine Cupressus. They told me such a big tree could not possibly "move;" but it did, and it now fills an out-of-the-way place as usefully as ornamentally22. I suppressed the carriage-drive, making a straight path broad enough for pedestrians23 only, and cut down a number of the trees. The blessed sunlight recognized my garden once more. Then I rooted out the shrubbery; did away with the fowl-house, using its materials to build two little sheds against the back fence; dug up the potato-garden—made tabula rasa, in fact; dismissed my labourers, and considered. I meant to be my own gardener. But already, sixteen years ago, I had a dislike of stooping. To kneel was almost as wearisome. Therefore I adopted the system of raised beds—common enough. Returning home, however, after a year's absence, I found my oak posts decaying—unseasoned, doubtless, when put in. To prevent trouble of this sort in future, I substituted drain-pipes set on end; the first of those ideas which have won commendation from great authorities. Drain-pipes do not encourage insects. Filled with earth, each bears a showy plant—lobelia, pyrethrum, saxifrage, or what not, with the utmost neatness, making a border; and they last eternally. But there was still much stooping, of course, whilst I became more impatient of it. One day a remedy flashed through my mind: that happy thought which became the essence or principle of my gardening, and makes this account thereof worth attention perhaps. Why not raise to a comfortable level all parts of the area over which I had need to bend? Though no horticulturist, perhaps, ever had such a thought before, expense was the sole objection visible. Called away just then for another long absence, I gave orders that no "dust" should leave the house; and found a monstrous24 heap on my return. The road-contractors supplied "sweepings25" at a shilling a load. Beginning at the outskirts26 of my property, I raised a mound27 three feet high and three feet broad, replanted the shrubs28 on the back edge, and left a handsome border for flowers. So well this succeeded, so admirably every plant throve in that compost, naturally drained and lifted to the sunlight, that I enlarged my views.
The soil is gravel29, peculiarly bad for roses; and at no distant day my garden was a swamp, not unchronicled had we room to dwell on such matters. The bit of lawn looked decent only at midsummer. I first tackled the rose question. The bushes and standards, such as they were, faced south, of course—that is, behind the house. A line of fruit-trees there began to shade them grievously. Experts assured me that if I raised a bank against these, of such a height as I proposed, they would surely die; I paid no attention to the experts, nor did my fruit-trees. The mound raised is, in fact, a crescent on the inner edge, thirty feet broad, seventy feet between the horns, square at the back behind the fruit-trees; a walk runs there, between it and the fence, and in the narrow space on either hand I grow such herbs as one cannot easily buy—chervil, chives, tarragon. Also I have beds of celeriac, and cold frames which yield a few cucumbers in the summer when emptied of plants. Not one inch of ground is lost in my garden.
The roses occupy this crescent. After sinking to its utmost now, the bank stands two feet six inches above the gravel path. At that elevation30 they defied the shadow for years, and for the most part they will continue to do so as long as I feel any interest in their well-being31. But there is a space, the least important fortunately, where the shade, growing year by year, has got the mastery. That space I have surrendered frankly32, covering it over with the charming saxifrage, S. hypnoides, through which in spring push bluebells33, primroses34, and miscellaneous bulbs, while the exquisite35 green carpet frames pots of scarlet36 geranium and such bright flowers, movable at will. That saxifrage, indeed, is one of my happiest devices. Finding that grass would not thrive upon the steep bank of my mounds37, I dotted them over with tufts of it, which have spread, until at this time they are clothed in vivid green the year round, and white as an untouched snowdrift in spring. Thus also the foot-wide paths of my rose-beds are edged; and a neater or a lovelier border could not be imagined.
With such a tiny space of ground the choice of roses is very important. Hybrids38 take up too much room for general service. One must have a few for colour; but the mass should be Teas, Noisettes, and, above all, Bengals. This day, the second week in October, I can pick fifty roses; and I expect to do so every morning till the end of the month in a sunny autumn. They will be mostly Bengals; but there are two exquisite varieties sold by Messrs. Paul—I forget which of them—nearly as free flowering. These are Camoens and Mad. J. Messimy. They have a tint39 unlike any other rose; they grow strongly for their class, and the bloom is singularly graceful40.
The tiny but vexatious lawn was next attacked. I stripped off the turf, planted drain-pipes along the gravel walk, filled in with road-sweepings to the level of their tops, and relaid the turf. It is now a little picture of a lawn. Each drain-pipe was planted with a cutting of ivy41, which now form a beautiful evergreen42 roll beside the path. Thus as you walk in my garden, everywhere the ground is more or less above its natural level; raised so high here and there that you cannot look over the plants which crown the summit. Any gardener at least will understand how luxuriantly everything grows and flowers under such conditions. Enthusiastic visitors declare that I have "scenery," and picturesque43 effects, and delightful44 surprises, in my quarter-acre of ground! Certainly I have flowers almost enough, and fruit, and perfect seclusion45 also. Though there are houses all round within a few yards, you catch but a glimpse of them at certain points while the trees are still clothed. Those mounds are all the secret.
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1
bungalow
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| n.平房，周围有阳台的木造小平房 | |
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stiffened
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| 加强的 | |
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orchid
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| n.兰花，淡紫色 | |
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superstitions
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| 迷信，迷信行为( superstition的名词复数 ) | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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orchids
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| n.兰花( orchid的名词复数 ) | |
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7
deduct
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| vt.扣除，减去 | |
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8
myriads
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| n.无数，极大数量( myriad的名词复数 ) | |
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dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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courteously
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| adv.有礼貌地，亲切地 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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sneer
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| v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语 | |
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persuasion
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| n.劝说；说服；持有某种信仰的宗派 | |
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kennel
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| n.狗舍，狗窝 | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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eastward
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| adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部 | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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snug
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| adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房 | |
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glade
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| n.林间空地，一片表面有草的沼泽低地 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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ornamentally
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| 装饰地，用作装饰品地 | |
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pedestrians
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| n.步行者( pedestrian的名词复数 ) | |
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monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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sweepings
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| n.笼统的( sweeping的名词复数 )；（在投票等中的）大胜；影响广泛的；包罗万象的 | |
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outskirts
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| n.郊外，郊区 | |
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mound
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| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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shrubs
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| 灌木( shrub的名词复数 ) | |
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gravel
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| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
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elevation
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| n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高 | |
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well-being
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| n.安康，安乐，幸福 | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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bluebells
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| n.圆叶风铃草( bluebell的名词复数 ) | |
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primroses
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| n.报春花( primrose的名词复数 )；淡黄色；追求享乐（招至恶果） | |
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exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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mounds
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| 土堆，土丘( mound的名词复数 )； 一大堆 | |
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hybrids
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| n.杂交生成的生物体( hybrid的名词复数 )；杂交植物（或动物）；杂种；（不同事物的）混合物 | |
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39
tint
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| n.淡色，浅色；染发剂；vt.着以淡淡的颜色 | |
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40
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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41
ivy
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| n.常青藤，常春藤 | |
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42
evergreen
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| n.常青树；adj.四季常青的 | |
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43
picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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44
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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45
seclusion
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| n.隐遁，隔离 | |
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