Introduction 



employ their own energies, and by carrying out much 

 of the necessary work themselves save the cost of a 

 labourer, but their time was not included in the cost. 



Perhaps it will be well to emphasize this point, that 

 the competition was designed essentially for the benefit 

 of those who garden for themselves. No effort was 

 made to encourage the development of costly, though 

 perchance beautiful, ideas that involved great initial 

 expense and a permanent maintenance cost higher 

 than was warranted by the size of site, class of house, 

 and its probable occupants. Nevertheless, this is not 

 to say that many of those features of design and orna- 

 ment that give character and aesthetic charm to large 

 gardens were to be excluded. Indeed, it will be found 

 on looking through the following pages that there are 

 many pretty ideas suggested, that although they would 

 be quite successful on a small scale, could easily be 

 elaborated and developed to suit gardens of much 

 greater extent. There is this in gardening, that the 

 greater may always learn from the lesser ; and though 

 the cottage garden may be contemptible in size when 

 compared with that surrounding the neighbouring 

 mansion, it is so often a more affectionately, and there- 

 fore carefully and intimately, developed handiwork, 

 that the greater garden can take many lessons there- 

 from. 



There is this also in gardening, that dogmatic prin- 

 ciples have no place. Gardening is an individualistic 

 pursuit, and a free art. It gives the fullest expression 

 to the aesthetic aspirations of its owner, sometimes in a 

 far more intimate association with that owner's ideals 

 than is possible in artistic endeavour generally. 



10 



