VILLA GAEDENING 



has spoiled many a country residence by destroying its repose. 

 The simplest designed garden is generally the most pleasing. Trees 

 and shrubs in variety are always pleasant features, and so much can 

 be made of them by a thoughtful, skilful designer. The gTeat evil 

 of amateur work in garden designing is from the want of know- 

 ledge of the materials employed ; trees and shrubs are often 

 wrongly placed. But still, with all the drawbacks arising from 

 this and other causes, I think the owners of gardens might with 

 advantage make their influence more felt. To do this of course 

 with effect, they must take more interest in their gardens — must 

 become acquainted with the plants and their wants. And no mat- 

 ter in how small or simple a manner we may begin, when we have 

 wrought among and studied the materials, more or less effective 

 combinations will grow out of it, in the same way as a tiny plant 

 may grow into a large spreading mass, assvuning fresh forms and 

 outlmes with every change of season. It is a common thing for a 

 person to take up a thing — gardening, for instance — somewhat 

 languidly, and before much progress is made something occurs 

 that arouses fresh interest in the matter in hand ; the lethargy — 

 the feeling of ennui — wears off', and we view not only this one 

 particular thing, but all others, in a different light. Now, this is 

 the feeling I am anxious to inspire ; but it is never wise to begin 

 too lavishly at first, for lavish expenditure when applied to garden- 

 ing, unless the means are unlimited, very often when the inevitable 

 reaction sets in gives rise to feelings akin to disgust. 



Flowers there must and may be at all seasons in even the 

 smallest gardens. Well-cared-for cottage gardens even are rarely 

 altogether flowerless, unless sealed up with frost in winter. It is 

 pleasant to see a roomy old-fashioned house embowered in trees, 

 with pleasant patches of green undulated turf beneath the windows, 

 not dotted over with flower-beds, as was till lately too much the 

 fashion, but free and open for the children to romp and play on. 

 Here and there trees and shmbs and gi-oups of flowers may grow 

 out of it, but not in formal masses, and its boundaries should be 

 as free and informal as are the tangled creepers gTowing up the 

 walls and over the verandah of the house itself. There should, of 

 course, be order and method even in a garden like this. The sway- 

 ing branch of the creeper must have a limit assigned to it, or the 

 wall may be stripped of its covering. All the dift'erence between 

 the natural and the severely formal is — in the one case every 

 shoot and leaf must fill its special place, and in the other only 

 security from wind is sought. Beyond all is free, and the grace, 

 motion, and life which this freedom gives is pleasant to witness. 

 But this is only one phase of gardening, and all men's minds are 



