International studio (39.1909/1910(1910))

Country Cottages and their Gardens

district of England nowadays there is someone to as good a purpose as could be found in modern
with a real care and interest in such things, and village life. A grant of money that would induce
whose influence might be brought to bear on those villagers to take an interest in the study of horti-
who have power to act. A great gain towards culture and garden work, would be an education
the desired end would be the formation of small grant of the wisest and best kind, and one that in
garden societies in each district, whose aim and a few years would yield very desirable and enduring
object should be to arouse the interest of villagers assets. Even on such barren architectural ground,
themselves in their gardens, and, under wise direc- and with such unpromising material as existed in
tion, to foster a spirit of friendly rivalry in the the village just mentioned, the difference in the
care of them. If the County Councils could aspect of the village by the making of these
be induced to give grants in aid of the improvement pleasant cottage gardens is notable, and suggests
of the villages in this way, not only for the im- what delightful things could be done in districts
provement of the village garden, but of the village where the old gardens have gone, but where the
green and roadside (in nearly every village there old buildings have been spared. Many such are
is room for it), they would be devoting money to be found in the stone-built villages of the

Nene valley, where only good garden-
ing and judicious planting are needed
to add immensely to their interest;
in fact it is at present the chief
thing wanting to the complete en-
joyment of the wonderful architecture
of the churches and the delightful
building of the cottages and larger
houses surrounding them.

Some praiseworthy efforts have from
time to time been made in many
villages, both by the private individuals
with a care for such things, and also
by various societies interested in horti-
culture. In every case the results
have more than justified the efforts,
not only as regards the gardens them-
selves, but in the general appearance
of the village. In one instance the
idea has spread, as it would in most
cases, through the entire village from
the humble cottage to the larger houses,
so that the simple orderliness of the
small garden has been increased in
value by thoughtful planting in the
roads, by careful shaping and clip-
ping of existing trees and foliage, and
in short by taking care to turn all the
natural advantages of the village to the
greatest account. There are hundreds
of such villages waiting for treatment
in a similar manner to-day; some with
untidy and unkempt greens, only need-
ing care and attention to be made
quite beautiful; dank and unwhole-
some ponds being converted into
attractive water-gardens; broken and
uncared for crosses only requiring
designed and drawn by c. e. mallows, f.r.i.b.a. careful repair to once more tell an old

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group of six cottages