FOREWORDS TO NEW EDITION. 



began to get an idea (which should be taught to every boy at 

 school) that there was (for gardens even) much beauty in our native 

 flowers and trees, and then came the thought that if there was so 

 much in our own island flora, what might we not look for from the 

 hills and valleys of the countries of the northern and temperate 

 world ? 



From thoughts of this kind if I turned to actual things, I 

 saw the flower-gardener meanly trying to rival the tile or wall- 

 paper men, and throwing aside with contempt all the lovely 

 things that through their height or form did not conform to this 

 idea (so stupid as to life), and this too the rule, not only in the 

 villa garden, but in our great public and private gardens. There was, 

 happily, always the beauty of the woods and lanes and the lovely 

 cottage gardens in the country round London, and here and there, 

 though rare, a quiet garden with things as the great mother made 

 them and grouped them. And so I began to see clearly that the 

 common way was a great error and the greatest obstacle to true 

 gardening or artistic effects of any kind in the flower-garden or 

 home landscape, and then, made up my mind to fight the thing out 

 in any way open to me. 



The English Flower Garden consists of two parts : the first 

 dealing with the question of design the aim being to make the 

 garden a reflex of the beauty of the great garden of the world itself, 

 and to prove that the true way to happiest design is not to have 

 any stereotyped style for all flower gardens, but that the best kind of 

 garden should arise out of its site and conditions as happily as a 

 primrose out of a cool bank. 



The second part includes most of the trees and plants, hardy 

 and half-hardy, for our flower gardens and pleasure grounds, and 

 it is illustrated with a view to show the beauty of the things spoken 

 of, as few know the many shrubs and trees worth a place in our 

 open-air gardens, and it is of little use to discuss arrangement if 

 the beauty of the flowers is hidden from us. No stereotyped garden 

 of half-a-dozen kinds of plants will satisfy any one who knows that 

 many beautiful aspects of vegetation are possible in a garden in 

 spring, summer, and autumn. 



This is not a botanical book, as should be clear from its title ; 

 but some may expect in the book technical terms which I wish 

 to keep out of it. Although the debt of the gardener to Botany 

 is great, the subordination of the garden to Botany has been 



