COTTAGE GARDENS. 



125 



COTTAGE GARDENS. 



Cottage and Villa Gardens, 

 Arrangement of. 



The gardens attached to villa residences 

 in the suburbs of towns and cottages in the 

 country vary in size, shape, position, and 

 aspect : some are square, some perhaps 

 the greater number oblong, and others 

 irregular in form, ranging in size from a 

 couple of rods, or about 60 square yards, 

 to a quarter of an acre, or about 1,200 

 square yards. The mode of laying out any 

 garden must be influenced and ultimately 

 determined by the size, shape, position, 

 and aspect of the piece of ground to be 

 treated. Let us endeavour to lay down 

 some general rules for our guidance in the 

 disposition of small gardens, and then we 

 shall be in a better position to apply them 

 to a special piece of ground that may be 

 taken as the prevailing type of a small villa 

 or cottage garden. 



Laying Out. First, then, in laying out 

 a small garden, economy recommends sim- 

 plicity of design, for intricate plans only 

 increase the labour, and do not yield an 

 adequate compensation. Still, there is a 

 limit even to simplicity of design, and this 

 should be carried only so far that it may 

 not interfere with as much diversity as 

 possible, for there is nothing that increases 

 the pleasure to be derived from a small 

 garden, or apparently adds to its extent, 

 than as many objects as possible, promi- 

 nently brought out here and there to attract 

 and rivet attention by turns as each comes 

 under notice in a walk round the garden, 

 whenever it may be taken. Supposing the 

 frontage to be laid out as a flower garden, 

 let the walks present curves rather than 

 sharp angles, let the beds be circular or 

 oval rather than pointed, and let the space 

 for flowers be as open as possible. Nothing 

 is more beautiful than a small green plot of 

 grass on which one or two of the smaller 

 ornamental trees may be planted, such as 

 the silver birch or copper beach, or some 



sort of conifer, as a pine or cypress, an 



I araucaria, now easily procurable, or a 

 deodar. These do not create such a litter 

 with their leaves as freer-growing plants, 

 and will not so soon overcrowd the place. 



Edging and Paths. Let the edgings of 

 the flower beds, where edging is necessary, 

 be of box, if obtainable nothing is so 

 handsome ; otherwise thrift, white alyssum, 



J or some of the ornamental grasses ; or 

 ornamental tiles are both cheap and elegant, 

 and a grass verge from 6 to 9 inches wide, 

 ifkept in order, is always pleasant and 

 attractive to look on. The path should be 

 of gravel, if possible, or of coarse sand 

 even road sand is capital for kitchen garden 

 walks, so also is burnt clay. In the present 

 day, walks are sometimes made of a concrete 

 of tar and pebbles, rolled and faced with 

 sand, or of asphalte, but these kinds of 

 walks are not desirable, except in such 

 positions where it is desirable to find the 

 path firm and dry even immediately after 

 heavy rain. 



Drainage. Let the main parts of the 

 ground be devoted to kitchen crops. If 

 drainage is necessary, ascertain whither the 

 water can be carried. Open a trench along 

 the whole breadth of the plot, either into 

 the intended outlet or into a well sunk in 

 the ground, and into this trench lead the 

 several drains from the higher part of the 

 ground from one end of the garden to the 

 outlet, gradually sloping towards the lower 

 trench. If this be left open and kept clear, 

 it will carry off all superfluous water ; but 

 if some brushwood is laid along the bottom, 

 it may be covered and cropped over. Brick- 

 bats or stones will do, but pipes or tiles are 

 to be preferred. Having done this, see to 



I the construction of the walks ; if pleasure 

 be the object, do not grudge the space to be 

 given up to them ; but if profit be sought 

 after by keeping as much of the ground as 

 possible for cultivation, let one main walk 



i pass through the centre, of about five feet 



