(5) Another matter, which only the lady of the house can decide, will be the arrangements for bedding out, or the grouping and colouring required for herbaceous borders. If she has taste, and is artistic, it is necessary only to carry out her plans. Possibly she may leave the matter to the gardener; in which case visits should be made to a few neighbouring gardens to ascertain what plants and climbers are best suited to the climate and soil. Having put the plans on paper, an estimate can be formed of the quantity of bulbs, plants, shrubs, or climbers required for the whole garden. The autumn is the best time to order these. There remains then a further point upon which advice should be asked.

(6) The ordering of seeds, plants, tools, and garden requisites may be in the gardener’s department, or it may be managed by the estate. In any case, it will be a good plan to touch upon these matters to the employer. Unimportant as they may appear, it is wise for him to deal with local tradesmen, and, therefore, a stranger to the neighbourhood will have to learn their names, and what things they each excel in. The carting of purchases from the station to the garden is a matter for careful consideration. Should this be done by the estate, it must be borne in mind that, when the yearly accounts are sent in, the estate will wish to appear economical as regards its own requirements, and if the gardener is not on good terms with the agent or bailiff, it is possible that the total at the bottom of the garden expense column may be surprisingly large. My advice, therefore, is to make friends with the estate department. When pea boughs, and timber for rails are needed, when locks are to be repaired, or hinges fixed, it is good to have a friend at court.

(7) Occasionally matters are put under a gardener’s direction which can hardly be called garden work. The washing down of drains, cleaning away leaves from the roof gutters, brushing snow off the roof, emptying receptacles of refuse, burning waste paper from the house, may fall to a lady gardener’s lot. In any case, when specific duties are ascertained, no responsibility connected with them should be handed over to subordinates. Washing a drain down is not, perhaps, an especially elevating task, and it may be urged that any fool can do it. It will only be done, however, and well done, if the men know that a look-out is being kept for their neglect or carelessness. If they are sometimes unexpectedly watched it will be found that the work is well done, and instead of their thinking less of their “head,” they will respect her all the more.

If a holiday is asked for them sometimes, or a kind act is performed for their wives or children, they will work with a good will which should be encouraging to their chief.

It is not very probable that anyone, after only two or three years’ training, will soar at once to the height of being head gardener on an estate, or of having the direction of many labouring men. I have noted most of the points of importance for a start in the garden profession; they must be added to from experience as the ladder is mounted towards success.

I have not, so far, touched upon the main point for consideration, whether the garden be large or small. This is the vegetable garden. It will be necessary, without loss of time, to interview the cook, and ask what vegetables are most required.

“Different people, different opinions; some like apples, some like onions.” Do not grow what is not wanted. It is well to try and make friends with the cook, for if not, any failure in the vegetable course at dinner will be laid to the gardener’s door. They will be too young or too old, too tender or too tough, or it will be said that the cook has expressed an opinion that “no one couldn’t cook them vegetables which that there lady gardener sends in.” Therefore, spare no pains to be friends with the head of the kitchen, for success or failure may depend much upon her opinion. A few compliments upon her skill in cooking will be a good preliminary to any explanations that may have to be made in introducing a new vegetable to her notice. I have heard of a sad instance of the Mont d’Or butter beans that were given to the pigs “because they were yellow.” In this case, had the cook been interviewed beforehand, those lovely golden beans would not have been cast “like pearls before swine.” The requirements of houses as regards flowers and vegetables vary very much, and it will only be by asking advice of the lady and the cook that a gardener can guess at all what she is expected to send into the house. The first year will naturally be somewhat of an experiment in this respect, and it will be well to point out these difficulties to the employer, for fear he considers that there is either undue extravagance or too economical a saving of produce.

Having interviewed the cook, the next thing is to arrange the crops.

For an ordinary kitchen garden of one acre, the following should generally be ordered.

Peas6qts.
Broad Beans2–3qts.
French Beans½qt.
Runner Beans½lb.
Spinach1qt.
Winter spinach8ozs.
Mustard and Cress1qt. each.
Beet2ozs.
Carrots2ozs.
Leek1oz.
Lettuce, Summer1oz.
Lettuce, Winter½oz.
Onions, Spring4ozs.
Onions, Autumn1oz.
Parsley2ozs.
Parsnips1oz.
Salsify1oz.
Turnips4ozs.
Endive1oz.
Radish1pint.
Kale1oz.
Brussels Sprouts1oz.
Cauliflower (of sorts)1oz.
Broccoli (of sorts)1½ozs.
Cabbage1oz.
Red Cabbage½oz.
Savoys½oz.
Celery1pkt.