ON PRIZE GARDENS

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21726, 7 March 1936, Page 19

ON PRIZE GARDENS

j «• l - (otiguixt wumra jroa ran rasas.) 1 * *■' x 'tß'y wjmi'Vl \ ' There is a tale of ’liviusDnisus,' well enough known,- but perhaps it will bear repeating. ’ He had a house in Home which was overlooked by neighbours; and ah architect whom he called in to carry out some alterations suggested that he would gain more privacy by a few changes. “No!” said the ;virtuous Drusus; “rather open my house to the gaze of all* so that every man may see how a Roman should live.” And now the judges of gardens would have' us cut out our hedges and fences and trees and shelter, so that the passer-by may see what good gardeners we are; jt will give him pleasure, they, say. We know large gardens which are nearly-per-fect our - own Botanic-Gardens, for example; if the critical eye seems to discern a.flaw, even so it is out the nodding of a Homer. And so, they say, our few square yards must be a miniature of them, to scale* our trees shall bfe eight feet high, no more; and as for wind-breaks, why, in the interests of civic altruism, we must do without them. Not I. I do not love, these little gardens where the eye seeks vainly for relief from the monotony of perfection. Children play demureiy on the plots of grass, and when the good wife talks of it there is m her voice a hint of stridency which tells you that she has to take second place. A high authority suggests that at least-one purpose of a garden is sitting in the shade; how can this fulfil its purpose, where, first, there is no shade to sit in, and.second.tbe proud owner obviously has no . tune ito sit down anywhere? ■ . I Away with them. The I, my dreams shall be far otherwise. Though a handkerchief might coyer it, it shall contain a surprise or two, and a .hint of secrets. A garden should make, your feet iteh to wsnder; the most perfect colour scheme is wasted, if you can see it aR froin the drawing room window. Even a shed door standing open can. te an asset, if it makes you want to look inside. In the housewherel was born, the far end. of thegardenwas bounded by a bnck wall, facmg the sun; our neighbours on that side had planted a row of . lilac along it, all the sun came to it from our .side, so it gave us the best of its flowers. 1 have no notion of what lay beyond, but when they gave all that luxnn/ to us, the hint of unseen wealtt n7OQ than the reality could

ha ßounTW gardCH there be a fence, both sides, front and back. Most of it shall be screened; but you shall see enough pf it to know that it is there. We are individualists before we are communists; we nave to worktogether outside, but surely we may guard our homes? Even the wild beasts have their lairs and are not expected to share them, ! , will do what I can for you who pass outside my wall; kowhar and blossom shaU overhang it in theiJ season, and bemes m If you ask more, you are J have done for you all that i asK from you. If you care to look through my gate, you shaU see, perhaps, a tenth of what I have to . you wish to see more) I hope that r shaU show it to you; but if hy iilluck I do not. at least remember that fulfilment generally disappoints the W *And, above all, there shaU be trees. Theology apart, it is good that, your gaze should sometimes be directed to the heavens; otherwise, gardening is but a grovelling in, earth. I love and covet that glaucous cedar that stands beyond the roses in the Gardens; though indeed it might be an embarrassment if 1 had it 'But I am content with what I have; they fill a quarter of my gapden, so that nothing else will grow there; and if*they did not, the othtff* three quarters would not be worm filling. They shade my jawa, i so that moss grows in it; and mere i can sprawl, and think hard I should have to work if flowers grew there instead. By the side of the house a sycamore has sown itself, it ought not to.be there, of course, and I dare not think what the garden, judges would say to it; but soon its buff flowers will be hanging m through a bedroom window, and tne bees sipping honey from them —whyshould I cut it out? - Nothing is more dreary than a herbaceous border in winter, or a bedding display that is past its best. But if you have trees, you never need to tell anyone that "‘the garden is over now.” In winter, your evergreens are rich and warm, and you can love the strong, naked bones of the others; in spring, you gloat over every opening bud; in summer, ypur gaze wanders peacefully through me cool depths of foliage; in autumn, you see the new wood ripening with promise of another twelve months have trees, the birds will come to you more freely. A young thrush or blackbird running over a lawn is the prettiest thing the gjUv" den can offer; the description of it may grow stale from repetition, but the reality never does. You have to net your cherries anyway; and if they spoil some of your peaches and plums, at least they pay you richly for the privilege. And not only birds; trees put you on a more friendly footing with ■ the rest of creation, too. On one. big tree, in my garden there is a host of little green caterpillars; if the tree was smaller, I suppose I should have to coat it with arsenic and that would be an end of them. But this tree is big enough to. take care of itself, too big to spray, so they live there merrily—except that the thrushes seem fond of the spot. The least puff of wind, and a dozen of them fall off their leaves and hang on slender threads —embryo butterflies that have taken to the air. too soon; you have to go past carefully, or you find them crawling in your hair. And we can laugh at them swinging there; but if we had a trim prize .garden we should be saying, “Aren’t the caterpillars awful,this year?’ So plant trees, and never mind the experts. Build fences, grow hedges thick and strong. “Seen gardens may be sweet, but those unseen are sweeter”; and, by the way, a scent from an unseen flower is a pleasant thing to meet as you walk along a road. If your neighbour objects, say this to him: “My dear sir, your garden is si work of art, a harmony of perfect colour. I do not claim to rival you; but of mine 1 have tried to make a place where a man will feel happy even in spite of himself; and J would not change gardens with yon.”' 1 And if be still objects, say this; “I do not deny that my trees throw some small shade on your flower beds, and take some nourishment from your; soil.. But without their beauty, which I lend —.. ft,

beauty of your garden would be lostt it would be a picture without: a' frame or a wall to hang it on. 'And without the shelterwhich I give the half of your plants would be l blown, out . of the ground,, and you would soon be growing nothing but grass and antirrhinums.” And if he is hot . yet silenced, tell him to IP and look at some of those Bnetiaifcs villages, where great' ehns, above the cottages, and honeys .grows in the hedges;..ever wards, his ache jog when he remembers them. &