Exclusiveness in a garden is a mistake as great as it is in

Hear the gentle yet piercing words of Alfred Austin: “Exclusiveness in a garden is a mistake as great as it is in society.” This saying, though clothed in the imagery of flowers and soil, speaks to the very heart of human community. A garden thrives when it welcomes many seeds—flowers of every color, plants of every shape, herbs and fruits that nourish both body and spirit. But a garden planted in exclusiveness, with only one kind of flower, is barren of beauty and vulnerable to ruin. So too is a society that shuts its gates, despising difference, exalting sameness, and denying the strength of diversity.

The ancients, in their wisdom, often used the garden as a metaphor for life. In the writings of the East, the sage compared humanity to a vast orchard where each tree bore fruit in its season. In the West, poets saw the earth’s gardens as mirrors of paradise, where harmony lay not in uniformity but in the balance of countless living forms. Austin’s words remind us that exclusiveness, whether in soil or in society, suffocates vitality. True flourishing demands variety, cooperation, and the mingling of differences into a greater whole.

Consider the great city of Alexandria in antiquity. Built by Alexander and enriched by many peoples—Greeks, Egyptians, Jews, and others—it became a center of learning and culture. Its famed Library gathered the wisdom of many nations, its streets echoed with tongues from across the world, and its markets overflowed with goods from distant lands. Like a vibrant garden, Alexandria thrived because it was not exclusive. It welcomed diversity, and in doing so, it became a beacon of civilization. But when intolerance and division grew, the city declined, proving that the loss of diversity is the withering of life itself.

In contrast, history offers grim lessons where society chose exclusiveness. When one people exalted themselves above others—be it through caste, race, or creed—the result was not strength but weakness, not unity but fracture. The rigid walls of exclusivity bred distrust, rebellion, and decay. Just as a monoculture in farming leaves crops vulnerable to disease, a monoculture in society leaves a people vulnerable to corruption and collapse. Exclusiveness is, as Austin said, a mistake both in the garden and in the life of nations.

The lesson is clear: just as gardeners learn to cherish the balance of flowers, trees, and fruits, so must societies cherish the balance of cultures, voices, and individuals. Beauty lies not in sameness, but in harmony. Strength lies not in exclusion, but in the weaving together of differences into a common fabric. The fragrance of a rose is enriched when beside it blooms the lily, and the melody of society is enriched when every voice is allowed to sing.

Therefore, O listener, carry this wisdom into your own life. In your home, welcome differences; in your friendships, honor uniqueness; in your community, make room for all. Reject the narrowness that would confine life to sameness. Instead, sow the seeds of inclusion, and you will see your society bloom like a garden filled with countless colors. For every person, like every flower, brings beauty and strength that none other can provide.

And so let Austin’s words be remembered: “Exclusiveness in a garden is a mistake as great as it is in society.” Do not build walls where there should be gates; do not silence voices where there should be song. For only when diversity is embraced can life grow in fullness. Let this truth be planted in your heart, and you will tend both the garden of your soul and the garden of humanity, that they may bloom together in harmony.