100 GARDENING FOR WOMEN 



shown in England, througli the good taste and 

 skill of Mrs. Watts and others, what can be done in 

 the way of terra -cotta work for the adornment of 

 gardens. There is nothing new to us in the lovely 

 boxes, sundials, fountains, vases and pots that we 

 see designed, but we have not all, perhaps, suc- 

 ceeded in mastering the art of the Italian in placing 

 these objects, with striking effect, in masses. 



With a view to studying this we wandered 

 round many gardens in Tuscany. We were shown 

 lovely loggias overhung with climbing roses ; 

 masses of tall graceful arums and many coloured 

 carnations in pots, stood beneath them in cool shade. 

 Flowering bushes outside were carpeted with sweet- 

 smelUng violets, w^alls and arbours were hidden 

 under lavender wistaria, white and pink camellias 

 lit up the borders of shrubberies. Nothing, of all 

 this luxuriant vegetation, was arranged quite in 

 accordance with our English taste. We were dis- 

 satisfied, until one day we chanced upon a garden 

 which seemed to combine successful herbaceous 

 arrangement with ornamental pot decoration. 



A narrow country lane, hedged in on either 

 side by cypresses, led to the front of the villa. The 

 terrace, with old-fashioned stone seats built into 

 the corners of the wall, invited the passer-by to 

 rest beneath the shade of an overhanging syca- 

 more and look down upon a lovely stretch of 



