Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/311

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289 WOMAN IN HER GARDEN This section will give information on gardening topics whicii will be of value to all women — the woman who lives in town, the woman who lives in the country, irrespective of whether she has a large or small purse at her disposal. The range of subjects will be very wide and will include : Practical Articles on Hcrticul- tw-e Flcnver Growing for Profit Violet Farms French Gardens 7 'he Vegetable Garden Nature Gardens Water Gardens The Window Garden Famous Gardens of England Conservatories Frames Bell Glasses Greenhouses Vineries y etc.^ etc. TME ORMAMi^MTAL POT GARDEN By The Hon. FRANCES WOLSELEY Principal of Glynde School for Lady Gardeners in Sussex • The Ornamental Garden— The Forecourt and the Paths— Advantages of Coloured Pottery Interest in gardens steadily increases, and everybody wis'.ies to improve the sur- roundings of th ir houses. How can this be achieved with, least expense ? How can it be done with ideas that are somewhat different from those of our neighbour ? As the train speeds through the suburbs of London, we look down upon many " garths," or enclosed spaces, each of which belongs to a little house, one of many in a road. Each strip of ground is the same size, but it need not be the same in design or feeling. I have often thought what a pleasant occupation it would be for a lady-gardener to study various old and modern designs, applicable to small gardens. In a suitable neighbourhood, she could make quite a nice little income by submitting plans and ideas for small gardens. If she could afford to keep a nursery garden of her own, moreover, she could raise a number of plants for these little gardens. The variety of plans would be endless ; they could be adopted from every nation — one would be Japanese in feeling, another house might need stately, formal surround- ings, a small orchard could be irregularly planted in imitation of an Itahan hill-side, a sunk garden in Dutch style would shelter bulbs. In short, no two would be alike. In fact, the profession of " jobbing gardening," if only it could be given a more picturesque and descriptive name, could be a pleasant, elevating profession for a lady of artistic ideas. Many owners know what they wish to have, but are unable, through lack of imagination. to convey it to others ; others have no ideas at all, and sit down hopelessly and helplessly with a strip of lawn and a few geranium plants to await the help of Providence. A small piece of groun(J can be made more perfect than a large piece, because the paths, the beds, the lawns, being small, only a little money is required to make a big show. Many hundreds of pounds often go towards .the labour and upkeep necessary to a large garden, and there remains but little to ex- pend upon the ornamental part, which is so essential to the beauty of the whole. The Ornamental Garden In the suggestions that I am about to give, only the ornamental garden is con- sidered, not the cabbage patch. More and more are we acquiring from other countries a taste for out-of-door life. How to make the garden habitable, therefore, is becoming an important cmsideration, so that when we are not living in the rooms of our house, we may be living in the sun, shade, shelter, and sweet scents provided by the garden. In Part i of Every Woman's Encyclo- paedia I treated of a covered-in loggia for sitting under in all weathers, I shall assume that this has been thought out and placed in a suitable spot adjacent to the house. Other parts of the small garden must also be kept gay and bright at all times of the year. The smaller the ground, the more important is this consideration of endeavouring at all seasons to have colour. We will take a house placed in the centre of its own ground, looking out one side upon the road and the other windows overlooking