36 HOW THE GARDEN WAS MADE 



fritillarias. The garden is indeed then a veritable 

 " montagne de fleurs," which was the name that 

 Francoise, the cook of the menage, christened it by, 

 when the soft days of spring made her forget the 

 terrors of winter. 



Bit by bit, as profits from sales allowed for the 

 expense of labour, the centre of the ground was laid 

 out for flowers, whilst upon either side about an 

 acre and a quarter was planted as orchard market- 

 gardens, with straight lines of fruit trees and 

 vegetables between them. 



We relied much upon rain-water, and as it was 

 possible to collect it in tanks and empty paraffin 

 casks from the house roof and wooden sheds, this 

 sufficed until the number of glass structures in- 

 creased. A water-diviner then came with his 

 wand, and our troubles were solved by excavating 

 a well according to his directions. As this was in 

 the lowest part of the garden, we found it necessary 

 after a few years to supplement it by a small motor 

 engine which now pumps the well water up the hill 

 to an open tank near the greenhouses. 



We began with a small toy greenhouse some eight 

 feet long by six wide, and then each year others 

 followed which will be described in another chapter. 



I am often asked by ladies who have been through 

 a course of practical training how they can best 

 start a market-garden. The first thing to choose 

 is a sunny, sheltered site where produce can be 

 forced forward so that it is saleable early in the 

 season and thus secures the highest price. Com- 

 bined with this, it is important to have land where 

 there is every prospect of obtaining an ample and 



