The Charm Of Gardens - free ebook by Dion Clayton Calthrop

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The Charm Of Gardens

Dion Clayton Calthrop

39 chapters

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39 chapters

I THE SPIRIT OF GARDENS

I THE SPIRIT OF GARDENS

Once, I remember well, when I was hungering for a breath of country air, a woman, brown with the caresses of the wind and sun, brought the Spring to my door and sold it to me for a penny. The husky rough scent of those Primroses gave me news of England that I longed to hear. When I had placed my flowers in a bowl and put them on the table where I worked, they told me stories of the lanes and woods, how thrushes sang, and the wild Cherry Blossom flared delicately across the purpling trees. A flow

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II THE GARDEN OF ENGLAND: THEPATCHWORK QUILT

II THE GARDEN OF ENGLAND: THEPATCHWORK QUILT

Even your most unadventurous fellow can hardly look on a fair prospect of fields and meadows, woods, villages with smoking chimneys, a river, and a road, without a certain feeling rising in him that he would like to tread the road that winds so dapperly through the country, and discover for himself where it leads. To those who love their country the road is but a garden path running between borders of fair flowers whose names and virtues should be known to every child. A poet can weave a story f

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III A COUNTRY LANE: A MEMORYFROM ABROAD

III A COUNTRY LANE: A MEMORYFROM ABROAD

I was looking at a vision of the world upside down, mirrored in the deep blue of a still sea. Where the inverted picture of my boat gleamed white, and the rope that moored her to a tree showed grey, I saw the dark fir trees growing upside down, the bank of emerald grass looking more brilliant because of the grey-green lichened rocks; a black rock, glistening, hung with brown seaweed, made the vision clear, and, over all, clouds chased each other in the sky, seemingly below me. They were those ro

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IV FIELDS

IV FIELDS

A man will tell you how he has walked to such and such a place “across the fields,” with an air of saying, “You, I suppose, not knowing the country, painfully pursue the highroad.” He has the look of one who has made the discovery that it is good and wise to leave the beaten track, the cart rut, and the plain and obvious road, and has adventured in a daring spirit from stile to stile, from gate to ditch, where only the knowing ones may go. He is generally so occupied in the pride of reaching his

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V EPISODE OF THE CONTENTED TAILOR

V EPISODE OF THE CONTENTED TAILOR

Not a hundred yards out of a certain village I came across a little man dressed in grey. We were alone on the road, we were going in the same direction, and I came to learn that he travelled with as little purpose as I. As soon as I saw his face, his jaunty walk, his knapsack and his stick, I knew him for a friend. I hailed him. He stopped, smiled pleasantly, and fell in with my stride. We soon found a mutual bond of esteem. It appeared we were out in search of adventures. He explained to me, qu

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VI THE BLUEBELL WOOD AND THE CALMSTONE DOG

VI THE BLUEBELL WOOD AND THE CALMSTONE DOG

Man is an autobiographical animal, he speaks only from his thimbleful of human experience, and the I, I, I, of his talk drops out like an insistent drip of water. Even the knowledge we gain from books has to be grafted on to the knowledge we have of life before it bears fruit in our minds. Like patient clerks we are always adding up the columns of facts, fancies, and ideas, and arriving at the very tiny total at the end of the day. In order to give themselves scope when they wish to soliloquise,

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VII THE TAILOR’S SISTER’S TOMBSTONE

VII THE TAILOR’S SISTER’S TOMBSTONE

I was on the hill over against the village where my friend the tailor lived, and was preparing to descend into the valley to inquire the whereabouts of his cottage, when one of those sharp summer storms came on, the sky being darkened as if a hand had drawn a curtain across it, and the entire village lit by a vivid, unnatural light, like limelight in its intensity. Turning about, as the first great drops fell, to look for shelter, I spied a rough shed by the wayside, shut in on three sides with

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VIII THE COTTAGE GARDEN

VIII THE COTTAGE GARDEN

For the same reason that your town man keeps a pot of Geraniums on his window-sill, and a caged bird in his house, your countryman plants bright-coloured flowers by his door, and regales his children with news of the first cuckoo. They pull as much of Heaven down as will accommodate itself to their plot of earth. Any man standing in the centre of however small a space of his personal ownership—a piece of drugget in a garret, a patch of garden—makes it the hub of the universe round which the star

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IX A FEAST OF WILD STRAWBERRIES

IX A FEAST OF WILD STRAWBERRIES

There’s many a child has crowned her head with Buttercups—no bad substitute for gold—mirrored her face in a pool, and dreamed she was a Queen. There’s many a boy has lain for hours in the Wild Thyme on a cliff top and sent dream-fleets to Spain. The touch of imagination is all that is required to make the world seem real, and not until that wand is used is the world real. Only those moments when we hear the stars, peer in through Heaven’s gates, or rub shoulders with a poet’s vision, are real an

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X THE PRAISES OF A COUNTRY LIFE

X THE PRAISES OF A COUNTRY LIFE

Happy the man, who, remote from business, after the manner of the ancient race of mortals, cultivates his paternal lands with his own oxen, disengaged from every kind of usury; his is neither alarmed with the horrible trumpet, as a soldier, nor dreads he the angry sea; he shuns both the bar, and the proud portals of men in power. Wherefore, he either weds the lofty Poplars to the mature branches of the Vine; or lopping off the useless boughs with his pruning-knife, he engrafts more fruitful ones

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I THE ROMAN GARDEN IN ENGLAND

I THE ROMAN GARDEN IN ENGLAND

It would appear, judging from the specimens one sees, that the building of garden apartments, or summer-houses, is a lost art. But then leisure, as an art, has also been lost; and no man unless he understand leisure can possibly build an apartment to be entirely devoted to it. Imagine the man of the day who could write of his summer-house as the younger Pliny wrote: “At the end of the terrace, adjoining to the gallery, is a little garden-apartment, which I own is my delight. In truth it is my mi

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II ST. FIACRE, PATRON SAINT OF GARDENERSAND CAB-DRIVERS

II ST. FIACRE, PATRON SAINT OF GARDENERSAND CAB-DRIVERS

Gardeners who, to a man, are dedicated to peaceful and meditative pursuits, should care to know of the story of Saint Fiacre, the Irish Prince who turned hermit, and after his death was hailed Patron of Gardeners. He left Ireland, says the story, at that time when a missionary zeal was sending Irish monks the length and breadth of Europe. As Saint Pol left Britain and slew the Dragon on the Isle of Batz; Saint Gall drove the spirits of flood across the Lake of Constance; Saint Columban founded m

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III EVELYN’S “SYLVA”

III EVELYN’S “SYLVA”

On my table, as I write, is the copy of “Sylva” that John Evelyn himself gave to Sir Robert Morray, and in which he wrote in ink that is now faded and brown, as are his own autograph corrections in the text, The title page runs thus: A WOOD AT WOTTON, THE HOME OF JOHN EVELYN. This book was the first ever printed for the Royal Society, and contains, as may be seen, a practically complete record of seventeenth century planting and gardening, thus having an unique interest for all who follow the cr

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JANUARY.

JANUARY.

Trench the ground, and make it ready for the Spring: prepare also soil, and use it where you have occasion: Dig Borders, &amp;c., uncover as yet Roots of Trees, where Ablaqueation is requisite. Plant Quick-Sets, and Transplant Fruit-trees, if not finished: Set Vines; and begin to prune the old: Prune the branches of Orchard-fruit-trees; Nail, and trim your Wall-fruit, and Espaliers. Cleanse Trees of Moss, &amp;c., the weather moist. Gather Cyons for graffs before the buds sprout; and abo

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FEBRUARY.

FEBRUARY.

Prime Fruit-trees, and Vines, as yet. Remove graffs of former year graffing. Cut and lay Quick-sets. Yet you may Prune some Wall-fruit (not finish’d before) the most tender and delicate: But be exceedingly careful of the now turgid buds and bearers; and trim up your Palisade Hedges, and Espaliers. Plant Vines as yet, and the Shrubs, Hops, etc. Set all sorts of kernels and stony seeds. Also sow Beans, Pease, Radish, Parsnips, Carrots, Onions, Garlick, etc., and Plant Potatoes in your worst ground

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MARCH.

MARCH.

Yet Stercoration is seasonable, and you may plant what trees are left, though it be something of the latest, unless in very backward or moist places. Now is your chiefest and best time for raising on the Hot-bed Melons, Cucumbers, Gourds, etc., which about the sixth, eighth or tenth day will be ready for the seeds; and eight days after prick them forth at distances, according to the method, etc. If you have them later, begin again in ten or twelve days after the first, and so a third time, to ma

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APRIL.

APRIL.

Sow Sweet Marjoram, Hyssop, Basile, Thyme, Winter-Savoury, Scurvey-grass, and all fine and tender Seeds that require the Hot-bed. Sow also Lettuce, Purslan, Caully-flower, Radish, etc. Plant Artichoke-slips, etc. Set French-beans, etc. You may yet slip Lavender, Thyme, Rose-mary, etc. Towards the middle of this moneth begin to plant forth your Melons and Cucumbers, and to the late end; your Ridges well prepared. Gather up Worms and Snails, after evening showers, continue this also after all Summ

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MAY.

MAY.

Sow Sweet-Marjoram, Basil, Thyme, hot and Aromatic Herbs, and Plants which are the most tender. Sow Parslan, to have young; Lettuce, large-sided Cabbage, painted Beans, etc. Look carefully to your Mellons; and towards the end of this moneth, forbear to cover them any longer on the Ridges, either with straw or mattresses, etc. Ply the Laboratory, and distill Plants for Waters, Spirits, etc. Continue Weeding before they run to Seeds. Now set your Bees at full Liberty, look out often, and expect Sw

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JUNE.

JUNE.

Sow Lettuce, Chevril, Radish, etc., to have young and tender Salleting. About the midst of June you may inoculate Peaches Abricots, Cherries, Plums, Apples, Pears, etc. You may now also (or before) cleanse Vines of exuberant branches and tendrils, cropping (not cutting) and stopping the joynt immediately before the Blossoms, and some of the under branches which bear no fruit; especially in young Vineyards when they first begin to bear, and thence forwards. Gather Herbs in the Fall, to keep dry;

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JULY.

JULY.

Sow Lettuce, Radish, etc., to have tender salleting. Sow later Pease to be ripe six weeks after Michaelmas. Water young planted Trees, and Layers, etc., and prune now Abricots, and Peaches, saving as many of the young likeliest shoots as are well placed; for the new Bearers commonly perish, the new ones succeeding: Cut close and even. Let such Olitory-herbs run to seed as you would save. Towards the later end, visit your Vineyards again, etc., and stop the exuberant shoots at the second joint ab

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AUGUST.

AUGUST.

Inoculate now early, if before you began not. Prune off yet also superfluous Branches, and shoots of this second spring; but be careful not to expose the fruit, without leaves sufficient to skreen it from the Sun, furnishing, and nailing up what you will spare to cover the defects of your Walls. Pull up the suckers. Sow Raddish, tender Cabages, Cauly-flowers for Winter Plants, Corn-sallet, Marygolds, Lettuce, Carrots, Parnseps, Turneps, Spinage, Onions; also curl’d Endive, Angelica, Scurvy-grass

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SEPTEMBER.

SEPTEMBER.

Gather now (if ripe) your Winter Fruits, as Apples, Pears, Plums, etc., to prevent their falling by the great Winds: Also gather your Wind-falls from day to day; do this work in dry weather. Sow Lettuce, Radish, Spinage, Parsneps, Skirrets, etc. Cauly-flowers, Cabbage, Onions, etc. Scurvy-grass, Anis-seeds, etc. Now you may Transplant most sorts of Esculent, or Physical plants, etc. Also Artichocks, and Asparagus-roots. Sow also Winter Herbs and Roots, and plant Strawberries out of the Woods. To

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OCTOBER.

OCTOBER.

Trench Grounds for Orcharding, and the Kitchin-garden, to lye for a Winter mellowing. Plant dry Trees (i) Fruit of all sorts, Standard, Mural or Shrubs, which lose their lease; and that so soon as it falls: But be sure you chuse no Trees for the Wall of above two years Graffing at the most. Now is the time for Ablaqueation, and laying bare the Roots of old unthriving, or over hasty blooming trees. Moon now decreasing, gather Winter-fruit that remains, weather dry; take heed of bruising; lay them

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NOVEMBER.

NOVEMBER.

Carry Comfort out of your Melon-ground, or turn and mingle it with the earth, and lay it in ridges ready for the Spring: Also trench and fit ground for Artichocks, etc. Continue your Setting and Transplanting of Trees; lose no time, hard frosts come on apace; yet you may lay bare old Roots. Plant young Trees, Standards or Mural. Furnish your Nursery with Stocks to graff on the following year. Sow and set early Beans and Pease till Shrove-tide; and now lay up in your Cellars for Seed, to be Trans

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DECEMBER.

DECEMBER.

Prune, and Nail Wall-fruit, and Standard-trees. You may now plant Vines, etc. Also Stocks for Graffing, etc. Sow, as yet, Pomace of Cider-pressings to raise Nurseries; and set all sorts of Kernels, Stones, etc. Sow for early Beans, and Pease, but take heed of the Frosts; therefore surest to defer it till after Christmas, unless the Winter promise very moderate. All this Moneth you may continue to Trench Ground and dung it, to be ready for Bordures, or the planting of Fruit-trees, etc. Now seed y

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I TOWN GARDENS

I TOWN GARDENS

Few people will deny the peace of mind a sheet of green grass can give, but few people, one imagines, trouble to think how they are preserved in large Towns and Cities. If it were not for Societies many little open spaces would years ago have been covered with streets of houses, many fair trees have fallen, none have been planted, and those growing have been neglected and allowed to die. Of the many Societies whose work has been to preserve for the Public pleasure grounds, good trees, parks, and

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II THE EFFECT OF TREES

II THE EFFECT OF TREES

Of the pleasure and affect of trees no one speaks so wisely as Bacon. Although those who have a feeling for garden literature know his essay on Gardens as the classic of its kind, still many do not recall his thoughts when the planning of a garden is on hand. Too much, I think, is given by the man who is about to make a garden, to his own particular hobby, and many a man wonders why his garden gives him not all the pleasure he expected. You will hear of a man talk of his new Rose beds, of the nu

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Of the Cross

Of the Cross

“And the Christian men, that dwell beyond the sea, in Greece, say that the Tree of the Cross, that we call Cypress, was one of that tree that Adam ate the apple off; and that find they written. And they say also, that their Scripture saith, that Adam was sick, and said to his son Seth, that he should go to the angel that kept Paradise, that he would send him the oil of mercy, for to anoint with his members, that he might have health. And Seth went. But the angel would not let him come in; but sa

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IV OF THE CROWN OF THORNS

IV OF THE CROWN OF THORNS

“And if all it be so, that men say, that this crown is of thorns, ye shall understand that, it was of jonkes of the sea, that is to say, rushes of the sea, that prick as sharply as thorns. For I have seen and beholden many times that of Paris and that of Constantinople; for they were both one, made of rushes of the sea. But man have departed them in two parts: of the which one part is at Paris, and the other part is at Constantinople. And I have one of those precious thorns that seemeth like a W

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V OF APPLES

V OF APPLES

“Also in that country and in others also, men find long Apples to sell, in their season, and men clepe them Apples of Paradise; and they be right sweet and of good savour. And though ye cut them in never so many gobbets or parts, over-thwart or endlong, evermore ye shall find in the midst the figure of the Holy Cross of our Lord Jesu. “And men find there also the Apple of the tree of Adam, that have a bite at one of the sides; and there be also small Fig trees that bear no leaves, but Figs upon

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Of the Dry Tree

Of the Dry Tree

“And there is a tree of Oak, that the Saracens clepe Dirpe, that is of Abraham’s time; the which men clepe the Dry tree. And they say that it hath been there since the beginning of the world, and was some-time green and bare leaves, until the time that our Lord died on the Cross, and then it dried; and so did all the trees that were then in the world. And some say, by their prophecies, that a lord, a prince of the west side of the world, shall win the Land of Promission, that is the Holy Land, w

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VII OF THE FIRST ROSES

VII OF THE FIRST ROSES

Then Sir John tells of a field nigh to Bethlehem, called Floridus, and here was a maiden wrongfully blamed, and condemned to death, and to be burnt. “And as the fire began to burn about her, she made her prayers to our Lord, that as wisely as she was not guilty of that sin, that he would keep her and make it to be known to all men, of His merciful grace. And when she had thus said, she entered into the fire, and anon was the fire quenched and out; and the brands that were burning became red Rose

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VIII OF THE ABBEY GARDEN

VIII OF THE ABBEY GARDEN

“From that city men go by water, solacing and disporting them, till they come to an abbey of monks that is fast by, that be good religious men after their faith and law. “In that abbey is a great garden and fair, where be many trees of diverse manner of fruits. And in this garden is a little hill full of delectable trees. In that hill and in that garden be many diverse beasts, as of apes, marmosets, baboons, and many other diverse beasts. And every day, when the convent of this abbey hath eaten,

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Jupiter’s Wedding

Jupiter’s Wedding

When the toy had once taken Jupiter in the head to enter into a state of matrimony, he resolved for the honour of his Celestial Lady, that the whole world should keep a Festival upon the day of his marriage, and so invited all living creatures, Tag-Rag and Bob-Tail, to the solemnity of his wedding. They all came in very good time, saving only the Tortoise. Jupiter told him ’twas ill done to make the Company stay, and asked him, “Why so late?” “Why truly,” says the Tortoise, “I was at home, at my

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X EVENING RED AND MORNING GREY

X EVENING RED AND MORNING GREY

Your old-fashioned man with a care to his garden will look through the quarrel of his window to spy weather signs. This quarrel, the lozenge-pane of a window made criss-cross, shows in its narrow frame a deal of Nature’s business, day and night. For your gardener it takes the part of club window, weather glass and eye hole onto his world. Through it day and night he reviews the sky and the trees, the wind, the moon and the stars. When he rises betimes there’s the sky for him to read. When he ret

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XI GARDEN PROMISES

XI GARDEN PROMISES

It is Winter, and when it is winter the earth is very secret, but it lies like pie-crust promises waiting to be broken. A little graveyard of the tombs of seeds and bulbs spreads before one’s eyes. Each tomb has a nice headstone of white with the name of the buried life below written upon it. The virtues of the buried are not written in so many words, but their names suffice for that. In my imagination I see my graveyard like this: That I see most clearly written over the spot where I tucked the

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XII GARDEN PATHS

XII GARDEN PATHS

You can get no symbol finer than a path, no symbol is more used. Of necessity a path must begin somewhere and have a destination. Of necessity it must cross certain country, overcome obstacles, or go round them. By nature you come at new views from a path and so obtain fresh suggestions. A path entails labour, and by labour ease. It must have a purpose, and so must originate in an inspiration. And yet the man who makes a path ignores, as a rule, the high importance of his task. It is a peculiar

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XIII THE GARDENS OF THE DEAD

XIII THE GARDENS OF THE DEAD

It is a beautiful custom that we put flowers on the graves of our dead, and is more fraught with meaning than many know, for it is as a symbol resurrection that they are so placed, inasmuch as the flower that seems to perish perishes only for a while but comes up again as beautiful, and though it die into the soil it reappears all fresh and lovely with no sign of the soil to mar its beauty. But it is more beautiful to plant the graves of those we love with flowers, as then we symbolise that they

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OTHER BEAUTIFUL BOOKSON FLOWERS & GARDENS

OTHER BEAUTIFUL BOOKSON FLOWERS & GARDENS

Painted by ELLA DU CANE Described by FLORENCE DU CANE Containing 50 full-page Illustrations in Colour. Square demy 8vo, cloth, gilt top. Price 20s. net ( by post 20s. 6d.) Note. —Japan has often been called the Land of Flowers, and to judge from the beautiful illustrations in this volume, it is aptly named. The artist may be said to have given us a diary of the year’s flowers from the opening of the first plum blossom to the falling of the last maple leaf, and all are depicted in their natural s

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