Viscountess Frances Garnet Wolseley

“ In showing us the power of woman, he says: “The first of our duties to her—no thoughtful persons now doubt this—is to secure for her such physical training and exercise as may confirm her health, and perfect her beauty, the highest refinement of that [85] beauty being unattainable without splendour of activity and of delicate strength. To perfect her beauty, I say, and increase its power, it cannot be too powerful, nor shed its sacred light too far; only remember that all physical freedom is vain to produce beauty without a corresponding freedom of heart.” ”

“ We were shown lovely loggias overhung with climbing roses; masses of tall graceful arums and many coloured carnations in pots, stood beneath them in cool shade. Flowering bushes outside were carpeted with sweet-smelling violets, walls and arbours were hidden under lavender wistaria, white and pink camellias lit up the borders of shrubberies. Nothing, of all this luxuriant vegetation, was arranged quite in accordance with our English taste. We were dissatisfied, until one day we chanced upon a garden which seemed to combine successful herbaceous arrangement with ornamental pot decoration. ”

“ Thus the father of a family views with alarm the profession of a gardener, when it is first suggested to him for one of his daughters. It seems undesirable to him that she, who has been accustomed to gentle living and refinement, should lead the monotonous, solitary life which he pictures it to be. He sees her, in imagination, constantly weeding and digging amongst plants, without leisure during the day for any of the relaxation to be found in mental employment or development, and returning home at night physically exhausted. ”

“ Are we not shown the vast importance of keeping our rural population away from towns? Do we not thus endeavour with every means in our power to improve the cultivation of our land? County Council lectures, flower shows, cottage-garden competitions, Nature-study courses, training colleges are provided for this purpose. But, perhaps, the surest way of all is to make our boys and girls fond of bee-keeping, fruit growing, gardening and all other industries of country life. ”

“ It must be remembered that almost every woman living in the country in Canada, whether married or not, has to do a large part, often all, of her own housework, servants of any kind being, except in the towns, almost unobtainable—in the North-West Provinces absolutely so; this renders it difficult for her to undertake outdoor work that would occupy a great part of her time. I think all gentlewomen thinking of settling in the rural parts of Canada should fully realise the bearings of that most troublesome enigma, “the servant problem,” which we have in its extremest form in this country. ”

“ There is no doubt that the school garden successfully developed is the pivot round which nature-study revolves, and as time goes on it will be seen more and more that gardening and nature-study have much in common. Those ladies who have talent for teaching, and have been through a course of gardening, will find many openings for work. A garden, although artificial, is far less so than a schoolroom, and it combines scope for general education, quite apart from mere manual horticultural teaching. ”

“ No longer need there be that frequent termination to all pleasure in a large garden, when the head gardener grows only what he likes, and not what his master requires. How often, when shown round a large place, one is struck by the remark, “Oh, Dibber never lets us have violets or carnations, all his interest is centred in vegetable growing”; or “Truman gives all his time to preparing plants for exhibition; he is certainly very successful in winning prizes, but we come off badly, as all the best things are sent to exhibitions!” ”

“ To lose one’s own money hurts more than to see others lose.
Should the intending market gardener be a free agent, and able to select any part of England for her garden, there are two important matters for her to weigh. Where will be the best market, and what land has the most plentiful supply of water? Probably for the first venture the neighbourhood of a large seaside town, a watering-place or golf links, will be a safer market than London, which is so large and well supplied. ”

“ Whether our neighbour be politician, soldier, architect, or painter, he will surely listen with interest to the mention of a garden. He will tell us of some newly-discovered plant, a flower show that he went to see, or he will expatiate upon the beauties of South African bulbs. We may be sure that if he himself is no gardener, he has someone dear to him who is a lover of flowers. ”

“ True gardening gives scope for much sympathy and feeling. There is a soft repose in grey and pale pink. An arbour with such colouring invites thoughtfulness, quiet contemplation; whereas orange or bright yellow may, in some sad moments, be obtrusive, or jar upon our feelings. A brilliant bed of scarlet poppies, if put in the right natural surroundings, are gay with joie de vivre, whilst gentle pansies appear to look with melting human kindness as they raise their little faces appealingly towards us. ”

“ Unless she is fond of out-of-door life, however, she must not think of becoming a gardener, and she will probably find that her parents look somewhat critically upon this profession. They have an uncomfortable feeling that the head of a private garden is only a kind of servant, and in market, jobbing, or landscape gardening they see a life of constant digging and delving; a struggle to compete with the strength of a working man. ”

“ Many ladies who own large gardens take personal interest in the arrangement of the grounds. Not only do they wish to have beautiful, sweet smelling flowers in glasses and bowls to adorn their rooms; they also aspire to have plants grouped harmoniously in herbaceous borders and in formal beds. There has arisen a kind of competition to have as good a garden, if not a better one, than our neighbour. In the case of some specially gifted and energetic ladies, lovely gardens have been created, through their directions being carefully followed by the head gardener. ”

“ Owing to a college training, and first-rate general education, she should have better scientific knowledge than the ordinary labouring man who has worked his way up from village schooldays, through the different grades of a gardener’s life, to be head over others of his own class. She will possess a good grounding in botany and the science of soils. In short, she can reason scientifically. Instead of saying, “Oh, so-and-so won’t ever grow here, the soil does not suit it,” she will be able to ascertain what quality is lacking in the ground, and by adding an ingredient secure proper growth. ”

“ What pleasant days, too, can be spent in noting the happy results of garden-making, such as we see in the great yew trees of Levens, the grand Avenues of Le Nôtre, at Versailles, or the clever grouping of trees in many an English park. Here we, who come some two hundred years after, reap the full benefit of what then had the appearance only of a flat field dotted with stiff little baby trees. We can follow the old plans and ideas, but by using quicker growing materials it is possible to develop a picture under our eyes. ”

“ WOMEN GARDENERS FOR SOUTH AFRICA
There is small doubt that the subject of emigration to South Africa appeals to young Englishwomen, buoyant with youth and hopefulness, ambitious for adventure. A singular fascination exists about that virgin soil, clear air, brilliant sunlight. We know that nurses, teachers, mothers’ helps, servants are needed there. Unhesitatingly we recommend young women who belong to these professions to go to South Africa. They must thoroughly weigh beforehand the hardship of leaving home, and fully realise the obstacles they will have to overcome in a new country. ”

“ Should she be fond of teaching, she can hold classes in Nature Study or botany; if she has taste and talent for drawing, she can take up landscape gardening. With a small amount of capital to invest, she may start a market garden, with every prospect of success.
There are, too, the higher branches of horticulture, such as the treatment of rare greenhouse plants, hybridisation, cross-fertilisation, and the handling of orchids. All these intensely interesting, intellectual matters require such dainty skill, so much thought, that there is no doubt whatever they are suited to ladies. ”

“ A real artist gardener not only has aptitude for placing right lines, and forming rich, telling colour effects, but he also understands the personality of flowers, the sentiments of colours and scent. A painter’s instinct tells him where the varied colours of a mixed border are allowable, and how elsewhere [xiv] a touch of strong, brilliant colour is wanted to lead again to a shaded path of mystery.
In order to successfully accomplish this Fine Art gardening, which we in England are now ambitious to have, artistic, well-educated, refined head gardeners are needed. ”

“ We only know that a still greater use is in store for it, and that, through it, greater happiness will ensue for us. The right application of nature study and all that it embraces, to the education of children, is one of the most important developments of our day. All those who are ambitious for the prosperity of our future England should give very careful consideration to these matters. More and more we learn that the first endeavour of a school is to teach people to live. This new study tends to connect school teaching with life at home. ”

“ Surely we Western races should also look upon a garden as of the same artistic value as a beautiful picture, or a many-coloured, skilfully wrought piece of embroidery? In short, so ancient a craft should be as intelligently and carefully studied as any Fine Art. A garden is a living picture. ”

“ To any lady with a love of nature, the possession of taste, and possibly the wish to improve and add to the beauty of our English country homes, this branch of gardening will greatly appeal. What a pleasurable sensation it is to see a lovely picture growing daily more like the plan that was roughly sketched out. ”

“ Again, in our schools, we require for the children those who sympathise with school garden work and Nature-study.
These, then, are the ambitions of lady gardeners. They do not wish to supplant able, clever men head-gardeners, nor even to compete with them. They do desire, however, to assist as far as their strength allows, by lending intelligence, good taste, refinement, towards securing better cultivation of our great country. What they lack in physical strength they endeavour to compensate by other equally important, yet softer, womanly qualities. ”

“ On the other hand, the Macdonald School Gardens, while designed to encourage the cultivation of the soil as an ideal life-work, are intended to promote above all things else symmetrical education of the individual. They do not aim at education to the exclusion of utility, but they seek education through utility, and utility through education. The garden is the means, the pupil is the end. ”

“ Anything relating to living things, birds, mammals, plants, wild flowers, fruit, is what we now give our children. In short, nature-study, and everything connected with it, is the fashion. It forms not only an important part of education, but it also is recreation. Possibly we encourage it as a reversion from over-much science and book-learning, which is apt to produce a somewhat unhealthy, overstrained, nervous condition. ”

“ GARDENING AS A PROFESSION FOR WOMEN
Daughters of many professional men are obliged to earn a living. It often happens that the head of the family, after years of hard work, has to retire owing either to illness or age. His pension is a small one, and it becomes necessary for his daughters, as well as his sons, to make a career for themselves. They have been accustomed, perhaps, to a comfortable home, with a considerable number of luxuries, and the question as to the best method of earning a living must necessarily be a difficult one. ”

“ I want to draw attention to one quality that a lady head-gardener may find herself in need of. It is humility. I do not know a profession in which this is more necessary than in gardening. Because all difficulties of the soil in a chalky southern county have been learned, the requirements of that poor land mastered, and preparations made to guard against the violent attacks of the south-west wind, do not suppose that these same torments exist necessarily in other counties. Enemies and insect pests will be found, but they may not always be the same kind. ”