ST. . \l HI Kl\l - COURT. 



U<y 



time. It helps much to keep in mitul colour relations 

 between plants ami shrubs, and to work out the 

 ^roupiti^s .iivordingly, .uul to remember that no one 

 portion of the garden <..m IK- in full beauty tor the 

 whole year. It is desirable, therefore, in such a 



in to make rather large use of the smaller 

 lowering shrubs, whose foliage is neat ami pretty 

 throughout the summer, such as rosemary, lavender, 

 Jerusalem sage, Veronica Travcrsi and the oleanas ; 

 and to u-e on the terrace walls creepers of moderate 

 growth ; never to smother them with ivy or ampelopsis, 

 though both can be used it" they are carefully watched 

 and regulated. 



In such old gardens, although there can be no 

 reason for neglecting g<xxl plants of recent intro- 

 duction, yet the older garden plants will always be 

 the most suitable. China roses, damask roses, Scotch 

 briars and the sweet old cabbage rose, sweet briars 

 and cluster roses of the so-called Ayrshire kinds, 

 peonies and columbines, flag-irises ami white and 

 orange lilies these are the plants that should be in 

 profusion. Tall, stately hollyhocks, sweet bushes of 

 southernwood, lavender and rosemary should also be 

 in quantity, and st<Kks, wallflowers ami pansies. 

 These and the others of their familiar associates 

 should predominate, so keeping us in touch with the 

 older centuries. The best of the newer plants will 

 find their places, for the tall delphiniums of purest 

 blue are now indispensable, as are also the gorgeous 

 Oriental poppies of early June ami the flaming tritomas 

 of the autumn months. A whole beautiful garden will 

 be made of the newer developments of Michaelmas 

 daisies, plants that were but poorly represented in the 

 older days. But the old Michaelmas daisy, a nearly 

 typical form of aster Novi Belgi, was a familiar plant, 

 so that all its bright and infinitely varied descendants 

 and congeners take their place naturally in the fine 

 old garden. So will it be also with many of the 

 recent plants that so greatly widen the scope of 

 garden decoration. For, besides the dainty garlanding 

 growth of the smaller clematises, C. montana of May 

 and early June, C. flammula of September and 

 C. paniculata of October, we now have a number of 

 graceful small-flowered hybrids in modest colouring 

 of varied lilacs that are among the best of plants for 

 gracing garden masonry, and that, with due caution, 

 may be allowed to ramble here and there, even 

 through and over the carved balustrade or the piers 

 of the beautifully-wrought iron gate. 



A garden that so amply possesses the magic of 

 the ancient charm is best without the offshoots or 

 adjuncts that are quite reasonable in places of more 

 modern make. It is sufficient in itself. It does not 



want an alpine garden, or a wafer garden, or a (xrrgola 

 nrdcn,or a Japanese garden. It may have a rose garden 

 if there happens to be a place about it that demands 

 a rose garden, but its roses should be preferably of the 

 looser type not those of the show bench. There 

 should be nothing to remind one of flower shows, or 

 the "latest novelty," but everything to foster the 

 impression of rc|*>se and serenity of a " haunt of 

 am lent pe.ue." Many a little thing may IK- done 

 about an old garden. Tiny ferns and just a few well- 

 chosen little plants may be introduced i crumbling 

 wall-joints ; some of the lesser alpine bell-flowers, such 

 as Campanula pusilla, C. c.i-spitosa and C. garganua, 

 may be planted in the joints of the stones that form 

 the steps. But it is easily overdone, and should onl\ 

 be ventured upon with great caution ami reserve. 

 There are plenty ot new gardens whose rough walk 

 and steps cry aloud for more liberal clothing. In the 

 old garden with good architectural detail the value of 

 this must not be lost ; too much joint-planting would 

 bciome obtrusive. But the little plant, looking as if 

 it had come there by some happy chance or In its 

 own will, would be a charming incident. So the 

 appreciative owner of the fine old garden would 

 always be on the look-out for ways of retaining 

 and enhancing its own precious character. A cool 

 corner in shade of masonry, if found empty or 

 insufficiently filled, will receive clumps of Christmas 

 rose and hardy ferns, and a ground covering of some 

 pretty pansy or sweet musk or auricula. A bare 

 place in sun will, if it suits the plants next about it, 

 have a handsome patch of the great-flowered stonecrop, 

 Sedum spectabile, whose wide pink heads are so 

 favourite a gathering-place of bees and butterflies in 

 autumn, and it will be all the handsomer if it has a 

 wide setting of the grey velvet-like Stachys lanata. 



The quiet lawns of these old plates should be 

 jealously guarded, especially from the intrusion of 

 specimen conifers. Fifty years ago many a beautiful 

 lawn, whose velvet-like green expanse had endured 

 for centuries, was cruelly cut up to make gardens for 

 bedding plants. They were often without any 

 design, a shapeless sprinkle of stars and crescents, 

 diamonds and circles, to be filled with garish plants, 

 ill-assorted, whose blooming-time would endure for a 

 bare three months. At about the same time came 

 the worship of the s|xximen conifer, whose presence 

 has destroyed the character of many a fine old garden. 

 Happily we know better now, and the vandalisms of 

 the last generation are no longer practised. Much 

 of the bad planting has been cleared away, and the 

 fine old places are recovering their ancient charm-- 

 St. Catherine's is one which never lost it. 



