My father's brother was a boatman; and there was no greater joy for me than when he was with his ship lay here in the port. Then I had no peace at home, but asked if they would let me go to Munde. Oh, what a merry life when I was on the ship, jumping about with the sailors at their work!
Not much less was my love and joy of gardening, because my grandfather was also a special garden lover, always took me to his garden, even gave me a small patch of land to own and let me see and learn what gardening was all about. Here I put fruit pits; I transplanted, I grafted and grafted; I watered and tended to my plants.