16 GARDENING FOR WOMEN 



architecture, it will be easy to place the right 

 design near a house. 



All gardens must be chiefly considered with 

 a view to improving the appearance of the house. 

 This must be the starting point and first con- 

 sideration. Planting specimen trees and lovely 

 plants is of secondary moment. No school or 

 college can teach good taste ; some people will 

 learn it instinctively, others will never acquire 

 it. With constant observation and copious notes, 

 artistic feeling in gardening may certainly be 

 increased. It will be helpful to know the habits, 

 mode of growth, etc., of trees, shrubs, and garden 

 plants. Their time of flowering, and appearance, 

 are more important matters for consideration than 

 the actual ability to grow them. A head gardener 

 can cultivate them, when the broad effects of 

 colour have been planned and decided upon. 



As much knowledge as possible must be gained 

 concerning soils, manures, road making, draining, 

 pond making, levelling, embanking, and there 

 must be the ability roughly to calculate the cost 

 of such operations. By apprenticeship, or by 

 going to watch someone who is making large and 

 extensive alterations, much can be learnt. Facility 

 is acquired in estimating the time that is taken 

 in carting soil, or loading manure, by watching 

 a large staff of men at work ; experience can thus 



