[CONTENTS.]
| PAGE | ||
| I. | ||
| Introductory—The House—The Latest Flowers—The Arbutus—Chrysanthemums—FallenLeaves—Planting—The Apple-room—The Log-house—Christmas | [1] | |
| II. | ||
| Gardening Blunders—The Walled Garden and the FruitWalls—Spring Gardening—Christmas Roses—Snowdrops—PotPlants | [10] | |
| III. | ||
| Frost—The Vineries and Vines—Early Forcing—OrangeTrees—Spring Work—Aconites—The Crocus | [18] | |
| IV. | ||
| The Rookery—Daffodils—Peach Blossoms—Spring Flowers—Primroses—Violets—TheShrubs of Spring | [26] | |
| V. | ||
| The Herbaceous Beds—Pulmonaria—Wallflowers—Polyanthus—StarchHyacinths—Sweet Brier—Primula Japonica—EarlyAnnuals and Bulbs—The Old Yellow China | [34] | |
| VI. | ||
| Ants and Aphis—Fruit Trees—The Grass Walk—"Lilac-tide"—Narcissus—Snowflakes—Columbines—Kalmias—HawthornBushes | [42] | |
| VII. | ||
| The Summer Garden—The Buddleia—Ghent Azaleas—TheMixed Borders—Roses—The Green Rose | [51] | |
| VIII. | ||
| The Fruit Crop—Hautbois Strawberries—Lilium Auratum—SweetWilliams—Carnations—The Bedding-out | [59] | |
| IX. | ||
| Weeds—Tomatos—Tritomas—Night-scented Flowers—Tuberoses—Magnolia—Asters—IndianCorn | [67] | |
| X. | ||
| St. Luke's Summer—The Orchard—The Barberry—WhiteHaricot Beans—Transplanting—The Rockery | [75] | |
| XI. | ||
| The Wood and the Withered Leaves—Statues—Sun-dials—TheSnow—Plans for the Spring—Conclusion | [82] | |
| SUPPLEMENTARY CHAPTER. | ||
| Flowering Shrubs—Yuccas—Memorial Trees—Ranunculus—Pansies—CannaIndica—Summer Flowers—Bluets—Fruitblossoms and Bees—Strawberry Leaves—Garden Sounds—Mowing—Birds—TheSwallow—Pleasures of a Garden | [89] | |
| NOTES. | ||
| I.—On the Viola of the Romans | [107] | |
| II.—On the Azalea Viscosa | [110] | |
| III.—On the Solanum Tribe | [112] | |
| IV.—On the Sunflower of the Classics | [115] | |
| V.—On Flowers and the Poets | [118] | |
[A]
YEAR IN A LANCASHIRE GARDEN.
[I.]
Introductory—The House—The Latest Flowers—The Arbutus—Chrysanthemums—Fallen Leaves—Planting—The Apple-room—The Log-house—Christmas.
December 3.—These notes are written for those who love gardens as I do, but not for those who have a professional knowledge of the subject; and they are written in the hope that it may not be quite impossible to convey to others some little of the delight, which grows (more certainly than any bud or flower) from the possession and management of a garden. I cannot, of course, by any words of mine, give the hot glow of colour from a bed of scarlet Ranunculus with the sun full upon it, or bring out the delicious scent of those double Tuberoses, which did so well with me this autumn; but I can at least speak of my plans and projects, tell what I am doing, and how each month I succeed or fail,—and thus share with others the uncertainty, the risks and chances, which are in reality the great charm of gardening. And then, again, gardening joins itself, in a thousand ways, with a thousand associations, to books and literature, and here, too, I shall have much to say.
Lancashire is not the best possible place for a garden, and to be within five miles of a large town is certainly no advantage. We get smoke on one side, and salt breezes on another, and, worst of all, there comes down upon us every now and then a blast, laden with heavy chemical odours, which is more deadly than either smoke or salt. Still we are tolerably open, and in the country. As I sit writing at my library window, I see, beyond the lawn, field after field, until at last the eye rests on the spire of a church three miles away.