There are philosophies as varied as the flowers of the field,
and some of them weeds and a few of them poisonous weeds.
But they none of them create the psychological conditions
in which I first saw, or desired to see, the flower.
- G. K. Chesterton
Science, or para-science, tells us that geraniums bloom better if they are spoken to.
But a kind word every now and then is really quite enough.
Too much attention, like too much feeding, and weeding and hoeing,
inhibits and embarrasses them.
- Victoria Glendinning
Comes up smelling like roses
- Thom Bodebt
The garden should be adorned with roses and lilies, the turnsole, violets, and mandrake.
There you should have parsley, cost, fennel, southern-wood, coriander, sage, savory, hyssop, mint, rue, dittany, smallage, pellitory, lettuces, garden-cress, and peonies.
There should also be beds planted with onions, leeks, garlic, pumpkins and shallots.
The cucumber growing in its lap, the drowsy poppy, the daffodil and brank-ursine ennoble a garden.
Nor are there wanting, if occasion further thee, pottage-herbs, beets, herb-mercury, orache, sorrel and mallows, anise, mustard, white pepper and wormwood do good service to the gardener.
- Alexander of Neckham