Gardening for women

by Viscountess Frances Garnet Wolseley

A slight acquaintance with geology will be useful in forming rock work. Most of these subjects, together with surveying, can be learnt at a Municipal School, but the more thoroughly they are acquired the better.

Methodical habits are essential. So many women, compelled to earn a living, fail in this. They do not note expenses carefully; they are not business-like in rendering an account of wages paid out; and they do not trouble to obtain estimates of work to be done. The education of women is much at fault in these respects, but certainly, until this lack of business qualities is replaced by methodical ways, we shall be considered the reverse of helpful.

It will greatly assist the young gardener if visits are paid to many gardens, both private ones as well as market gardens. Small cottage gardens or wayside hedgerows should not be despised; much can be learnt by looking at both. The plants that are natural to the climate and soil are at once detected in this way, and knowledge is obtained as to what will most speedily lend itself to an effect of foliage or colour. Often, the chance arrangement of a large mass of gypsophila with bright coloured nasturtiums interwoven with its feathery flowers, or pansies springing up between an old paved path, may give ideas for a large garden. The “Traveller’s Joy,” and blackberries, that grow so rampantly on chalk, will make a pergola look clothed before a rarer plant could grow three feet up it.

If possible, a trip abroad should be taken; it would give fresh ideas, if the fields of mauve autumn crocuses in France, or the terraces and vineyards of Italy, could be seen. There are so many different ways of building pergolas, training creepers, and tying vines to posts. If we adopt some of these foreign styles in England it gives a touch of Italy to our tame English gardens. Copious notes should be made of all that is seen, and the knowledge thus acquired can be readily applied to designs for gardens here.

All books on landscape gardening, new and old, must be studied; many old-fashioned plans of mazes and beds can so easily be used or adapted to modern grounds, and with some knowledge of architecture, it will be easy to place the right design near a house.

All gardens must be chiefly considered with a view to improving the appearance of the house. This must be the starting point and first consideration. Planting specimen trees and lovely plants is of secondary moment. No school or college can teach good taste; some people will learn it instinctively, others will never acquire it. With constant observation and copious notes, artistic feeling in gardening may certainly be increased. It will be helpful to know the habits, mode of growth, etc., of trees, shrubs, and garden plants. Their time of flowering, and appearance, are more important matters for consideration than the actual ability to grow them. A head gardener can cultivate them, when the broad effects of colour have been planned and decided upon.

As much knowledge as possible must be gained concerning soils, manures, road making, draining, pond making, levelling, embanking, and there must be the ability roughly to calculate the cost of such operations. By apprenticeship, or by going to watch someone who is making large and extensive alterations, much can be learnt. Facility is acquired in estimating the time that is taken in carting soil, or loading manure, by watching a large staff of men at work; experience can thus be gained as to the best method to map out work. It is so essential to save labour and untidiness. A job that has to be done twice over is distressing to all concerned. The organisation of work can only be arrived at by planning out each detail beforehand, and orders can at once be given as to where the excavated soil is to be placed so that it may, at a future time, be handy for a further development of the plan.

We are considering this branch of gardening as one that may be gone in for without capital. When the training is completed it will be best to advertise for work. The terms for paying a preliminary visit and giving general advice should be stated. After this, should an understanding with an employer be arrived at, the further charges will depend upon the way in which the work has to be carried out. Perhaps it may only be necessary to pay an occasional visit to the scene of operations and see how the head gardener is executing his orders. In this case a guinea or more a visit would be the remuneration. It may answer the purpose better to obtain the services of a local contractor, and having explained the whole plan carefully to him, let him quote a price for the fulfilment of the contract. The fees would then be so much per cent. upon the total.

Under all circumstances it will be necessary to deal tactfully with the men who do the work. The ideal way of carrying out landscape gardening would be to have a staff of permanent workmen, who would accompany the landscape gardener to the various gardens, and carry out her directions. How much more quickly things would often go, if she had her own men to rely upon. As this, however, means capital, it should not be considered here, and stress can only be laid upon the necessity for making orders concise and clear, and studying the characters of the various workpeople, so as to succeed in obtaining the largest value possible out of their services. The power of interesting them in their work is a useful adjunct. Often a friendly word, or placing some slight responsibility upon a workman, will double the amount he tries to do.

At first it will be difficult to obtain work. Any successful plans that are carried out gratis for friends are sure to lead to further employment, and each good thing achieved will bring other opportunities. Should there still be time on hand, perhaps an architect may be found who is willing to secure the help of a well-trained garden designer.