I now come to what is, in my idea, by far the
most enchanting plan for breaking up a lawn, which is to
sink a small Dutch garden in the middle of it. The
size of the Dutch garden must, of course, be in proportion
to that of the lawn. If the proportion cannot be kept, it
would be better to leave it alone. It should have a red-
brick wall all round it, and be oblong or square, as suits
the situation. The entrances to it are by brick steps, one
in the middle of each of the four sides. The height of
the wall is about three feet from the ground on the outside,
and five feet on the inside. Along these walls, on the
140 POT-POURRI FROM A SURREY GARDEN
inside, are rather wide beds, bordered by paths made of
rows of large, square red tiles, laid flat and not quite join-
ing, so that tiny alpines and mosses may grow in between
them at their own sweet will. If preferred, this narrow
path can be made of bricks or broken paving-stones. The
object of this path, besides the convenience of standing
dry to pick the flowers or weed the beds, is that the front
of the bed can be planted in groups, not in rows,
with all sorts of low-growing things : — Alyssums,
Aubrietias, Forget-me-nots, Pinks of all kinds, Saxi-
frages, and mosses. On the side shaded by the wall
and facing north small ferns, Campanulas, and shade -
loving plants are the only ones that will do well. Prim-
roses, Auriculas, and the spring-flowering bulbs and Irises
do best on the side facing east ; and the summer and
autumn plants like to face west and north, as they weary
of the hot sun all the summer through. All the year
round this little garden can be kept a pleasure and a joy
by a little management, and by planting and replanting
from the greenhouse, the seed-beds, or the reserve garden.
The wall looks best if entirely planted with Tea-roses.
As they grow, they send up long waving branches, which
beautifully break the hard line of the wall. The middle
of the walled garden is grass, and the mowing machine
can never cut or injure the plants, feather forward as they
will on to the tiled path between the beds and the grass.
In the centre there can be a sundial on a square base ;
or, if you have water laid on, a small square or oblong
cement tank let into the ground, quite level with the
grass, as a fountain and to be handy for watering. All
day long the water in the tank is warmed by the sunshine.
This kind of fountain is an enormous improvement, I
think, to small suburban gardens, and it is prettier oblong
than square. The fountain must be made of cement and
six or eight feet deep. If the garden slopes at all, the
JULY 141
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I now come to what is, in my idea, by far the
most enchanting plan for breaking up a lawn, which is to
sink a small Dutch garden in the middle of it. The
size of the Dutch garden must, of course, be in proportion
to that of the lawn. If the proportion cannot be kept, it
would be better to leave it alone. It should have a red-
brick wall all round it, and be oblong or square, as suits
the situation. The entrances to it are by brick steps, one
in the middle of each of the four sides. The height of
the wall is about three feet from the ground on the outside,
and five feet on the inside. Along these walls, on the
140 POT-POURRI FROM A SURREY GARDEN
inside, are rather wide beds, bordered by paths made of
rows of large, square red tiles, laid flat and not quite join-
ing, so that tiny alpines and mosses may grow in between
them at their own sweet will. If preferred, this narrow
path can be made of bricks or broken paving-stones. The
object of this path, besides the convenience of standing
dry to pick the flowers or weed the beds, is that the front
of the bed can be planted in groups, not in rows,
with all sorts of low-growing things : — Alyssums,
Aubrietias, Forget-me-nots, Pinks of all kinds, Saxi-
frages, and mosses. On the side shaded by the wall
and facing north small ferns, Campanulas, and shade -
loving plants are the only ones that will do well. Prim-
roses, Auriculas, and the spring-flowering bulbs and Irises
do best on the side facing east ; and the summer and
autumn plants like to face west and north, as they weary
of the hot sun all the summer through. All the year
round this little garden can be kept a pleasure and a joy
by a little management, and by planting and replanting
from the greenhouse, the seed-beds, or the reserve garden.
The wall looks best if entirely planted with Tea-roses.
As they grow, they send up long waving branches, which
beautifully break the hard line of the wall. The middle
of the walled garden is grass, and the mowing machine
can never cut or injure the plants, feather forward as they
will on to the tiled path between the beds and the grass.
In the centre there can be a sundial on a square base ;
or, if you have water laid on, a small square or oblong
cement tank let into the ground, quite level with the
grass, as a fountain and to be handy for watering. All
day long the water in the tank is warmed by the sunshine.
This kind of fountain is an enormous improvement, I
think, to small suburban gardens, and it is prettier oblong
than square. The fountain must be made of cement and
six or eight feet deep. If the garden slopes at all, the
JULY 141