70 THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



It should be clear that in any such situation it is only possible 

 through flower gardening of the free and picturesque kind to get a good 

 result, and, happily, there are so many treasures in our gardens now, 

 that while growing things for their beauty of form or flower of fragrance, 

 we may have much variety as to contents, grouping, and succession of 

 bloom in such a garden. 



Elderfield. — In Miss Yonge's garden we are again away from 

 convention and free to enjoy the charm of trees and shrubs among the 

 flowers, as in many beautiful British gardens somewhat larger than cot- 

 tage gardens, but keeping the unstamped grace and variety of the cottage 

 garden. One of the good points of such gardens is the freedom enjoyed 

 to do or undo at any time of the year — there is always pleasant work to 

 do and no violent effort at any one time — as is the case with gardens 

 that depend on tender flowers only. The true flower-garden is one in 

 which there is, as in nature and life, ceaseless change. " Elderfield 

 has always looked an ideal home for an authoress. A little low white 

 house — nothing but a cottage she calls it herself — covered with creepers, 

 which keep up a succession of bloom to peep in at the windows 

 There is a very old Myrtle to the right, shorn of much of its height 

 since the very cold winter of 1895 ; and round Miss Yonge's drawing- 

 room window (the upper one to the left) a Banksian and a summer 

 Rose are ever looking in at her as she writes steadily every morning 

 at the writing table drawn close up to the window, or tapping at the 

 glass when the curtains are drawn and they are in danger of being 

 forgotten. M. ACTON." 



English Gardens Abroad and their Lessons.— Some of the 

 most beautiful flower gardens are to be seen in the homes of English 

 people living in Madeira, the Riviera, Algeria, and countries generally 

 permitting of beautiful flower gardening during the winter and with a 

 season of many flowers throughout the spring ; real gardens varied 

 and full of beautiful colour, yet without any trace of the barren 

 monotony characteristic of most gardens at home. The generally 

 picturesque nature of the ground, the presence of graceful fruit and 

 other trees, and the absence of any pretentious attempt to conform 

 the whole to one set idea, lead to the simple and artistic garden. 

 The garden of Mr. Arkwright at Mustapha, near Algiers, is a good 

 example of the English garden in other lands, a garden full of beauti- 

 ful things, and these so placed that pictures are seen at every turn. 

 Noble Tea Roses like Chromatella are fountains of bloom, sometimes 

 running up a tapering Cypress, and sending out of it far overhead 

 graceful shoots laden with flowers. Lamarque, the noblest of white 

 Roses, grows and blooms about as freely as the Elder bush does at 

 home. Many Tea Roses of all sizes are here ; sometimes kinds are 

 superb that rarely open well with us at home, such as Cloth of Gold, 



