Among the many problems which beset the novelist, not the least weighty is the choice of the moment at which to begin his novel.

Travel is the most private of pleasures. There is no greater bore than the travel bore. We do not in the least want to hear what he has seen in Hong-Kong.

What is beautiful is good, and who is good will soon be beautiful.

I worshipped dead men for their strength, Forgetting I was strong.

For the last 40 years of my life I have broken my back, my fingernails, and sometimes my heart, in the practical pursuit of my favourite occupation.

Not seeing is half-believing.

The most noteworthy thing about gardeners is that they are always optimistic, always enterprising, and never satisfied. They always look forward to doing something better than they have ever done before.