THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



Now, if any fact is clear about gardening it is this, that the 



garden's charm often arises from variety, not necessarily botanical 



variety, but the difference between a Menabilly 



Variety and the conventional garden essentially lies in 



essential. a variety of trees, shrubs, and flowers. This 



writer, and others like him, need to be taught 



that it is absolutely impossible to make a beautiful garden without 



the variety which he says is useless. They have not, of course, 



any idea of the dignity and beauty of the trees of Japan, the Rocky 



Mountains, and Northern Asia, or America. 



One architectural writer says : 



It is no use spending money on gardeners and repairs, as it might be much 

 better invested in architectural improvements or waterworks in the pleasure- 

 grounds. 



Apart from its doubtful taste this is a stupid and harmful idea, as 

 the two arts are in no way antagonistic, but helpful. Take away all 

 true planting and good gardening from our Castle Ashbys, Longleats, 

 or Wiltons, and what do we gain ? For remember that the ground 

 about a house, even in slopes which must be terraced, is often but a 

 very small area compared with the planting we may have to do in 

 the home landscape. 



But the ugly buildings that strew the land everywhere — Georgian, 

 carpenter's Gothic, Victorian — if we take away the good planting, the 

 one saving grace about them, there will be nothing left but an ugly 

 pile to laugh at. Good building and good planting go so well together 

 — one helping the other in every way — that it is odd to see anyone 

 writing on the subject without seeing that it is so. I cannot suppose 

 for a moment that any good architect or other worker could fail to 

 see the gain of good planting and good flower-gardening in relation 

 to his work. We have only the greatest satisfaction with a country 

 place when both building and planting are good — a rare thing, 

 unfortunately. 



To the good gardener all kinds of design are good if not against 



the site, soil, climate, or labours of his garden — a very important 



point the last. We frequently see beds a foot in 



Any way good diameter and many other frivolities of paper-plans 



that best suits which prevent the labours of a garden being done 



the site. with economy or simplicity. In many places 



where these hard pattern gardens are carried out, 



they are soon seen to be so absurd that the owners quietly turf the 



spot over, and hence in many country places we see only grass where 



there ought to be a real flower-garden. The good gardener is happy 



adorning old walls or necessary terraces, as at Haddon, as he knows 



walls are good friends in everyway both as backgrounds and shelters; 



