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. Some illustrations of such are given in this volume. Possessed of complete knowledge about the flowers best suited to the soil and position, having carefully studied the height, time of flowering, and prettiest combinations of colour for beds, they are competent to direct themselves. It sometimes occurs, however, that the lady of the house is willing to devote a small amount of time to planning garden effects, but family and social duties call her away. She can only give general directions to the clever gardener, and leave him to carry them out. Although many men are skilled in growing fine specimen plants, few are sufficiently well educated, or possessed of the natural taste requisite to execute their employer’s wishes.

I hope no one will suppose that, because this book is intended to be a guide to lady gardeners, I am narrow-minded enough to think in a depreciative way of men gardeners. Some of them are personal friends whom I respect, esteem, and who, I am aware, have done infinitely better work than any lady has so far achieved. Many are not only gardeners, they are artists as well. I have the highest opinion of them and their profession. I do feel strongly, however, that there is a large field open to young gentlewomen anxious to take up this work. There are many gardens, too, where a change has necessarily to be made, and the owners will benefit by substituting a lady in the place of a man, as head gardener.

I should like to draw the attention of employers to two important points connected with this subject:

1. A lady must be selected; not a “would-be” one. Only if she is this at heart, will she have authority over men working for her.

2. She should have the same salary as a man. A lady gardener must not be considered an economy. Many people without consciences think they can exact the same amount of manual work from a young woman that they would expect from a man. They also imagine, because she is a woman, they can pay her lower wages. Pay her well, and treat her well. Her honesty and intelligence will save expense in the end, but do not economise upon her salary. The advantages to be gained by the employer, should he appoint a lady as head gardener, are these:

(1) Scientific knowledge and true artistic taste.

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. Thus, an end will be made to the often erroneous ideas of a foreman, who, because he does not know the requirements of a plant, gives up the idea of growing it, or continues absolutely satisfied with the weedy specimen under his care.

A lady gardener, too, owing to her early surroundings, the study of pictures, gardens, and beautiful objects, should possess greater capacity for appreciating fully the requirements of the lady of the house. Plans for the arrangements of flower beds, shrubbery, borders, surprises of all sorts, are more speedily, more satisfactorily decided upon when two people meet upon the ground of similarity of education.

(2) Taste in colour.

This is more developed with the majority of women than with men. We have so many opportunities, at the fortnightly exhibitions of the Royal Horticultural Society, of seeing the latest productions of beautiful flowers. Then, too, there are books, such as Robinson’s “English Flower Garden,” Kelway’s Manual, Wright’s “Beautiful Gardens,” to guide us. They show us plans for grouping colours harmoniously in herbaceous borders. Nowadays we all know what we want to achieve, but we often fail to find the right one to fulfil our imaginings. It hurts the eye to see scarlet geraniums growing near mauve asters, or the delicate pink of the Dorothy Perkins rose killed by being placed near a glaring red brick wall. The lady gardener should, by her natural taste and good judgment, avoid such mistakes of arrangement both in the ordering of plants for flower borders, and in the decoration of flowers in rooms. A dinner-table should be an easy matter for her to plan. Lightness of touch will enable her to succeed in mixing graceful, soft foliage with suitable flowers. She will accomplish this in less time than the average man gardener.

Week-end parties are a favoured form of entertaining, and often the lady of the house is busy in London during the week, only arriving at her country house just before her guests. It will give her a pleasant sensation of ease if she has someone at home to whom she can absolutely entrust the decoration of her rooms and dinner-table. Then, too, another important matter is the selection, gathering, and packing up of suitable flowers to send away. My experience has always been that men gardeners do not study this sufficiently. They gather beautiful carnations, pentstemon, irises, or whatever their speciality may be, but forget that suitable green or coloured foliage must be mixed with them to show off the blossom. Knowing the very great difficulties of arranging flowers in glasses, a lady will be more careful about this than a man.

(3) Honesty and trustworthiness.

The lady gardener is a gentlewoman, and, therefore, we presume she possesses these qualities. I do not mean to cast the faintest aspersion upon the honesty of men gardeners! There have been instances of dishonesty and drunkenness amongst them, and as a class they are certainly open to greater temptations than a lady. Many owners of moderately large places, where perhaps no agent or bailiff is kept, are forced to be absent for some months each year; others fill high positions in diplomacy, and are obliged to spend some years away from home. To such, it will be a satisfaction to feel that they leave a capable lady at the head of affairs. Someone is at home who can be trusted, and will report to them if things are not going on as they would wish.

I am often questioned as to whether a lady can possibly exert authority and influence over a working man. I am certain, if she is the right kind of woman, she can. Let her, without hesitation, dismiss the first drunken under-gardener she meets with, and the others will respect her, and not try to take advantage of her because she is a woman.

(4) As companions.

The above remarks apply chiefly to a large flower and vegetable garden. I think women are equally suited to small posts. We often hear of a maiden lady living in the country who needs company. She would be pleased if a nice, cheerful, bright girl lived with her to share her pleasure in the garden. The strength and vigour of the young girl would compass things which the elderly lady could not attempt unassisted. Thus companionship would be added to the joy of gardening.

Then, also, we know of many a young married woman with a large family of children, whose limited means necessitate a country life. The children are sent to school, and return home only in holiday time, or they have daily teachers who leave them after lessons. Surely an arrangement might be made by which some of their free time could be turned to profitable, and yet pleasant account, by their working a little in the garden under the direction of the lady gardener. Children love planting and digging. If encouraged, they will take the greatest interest in beautifying a garden. Some lessons in nature study, too, could be given occasionally to increase their love for a country life.

This comparatively new idea of having someone to talk over garden arrangements with, in a friendly and more or less companionable way, usually smiles upon the woman of the house. She, at last, sees within her reach the possibility of achieving artistic effects which she has long thought of in her day dreams, but has failed to get carried out. Against the dark green yew hedge, how lovely will be the group of tall, stately pink hollyhocks, with pale rose-coloured annual larkspurs, Japanese anemones, and silver-foliaged plants intermingled with them! What lovely combinations of plants bearing similar coloured foliage she can arrange to plant together! There will be irises, German and Spanish ones, then the white drooping bells of hyacinth candicans, followed by scarlet tritomas and montbretias, bringing their brightness to cheer dull autumn days. How satisfactorily she now will be able to maintain a constant succession of colour in herbaceous borders throughout the year!

In short, the advent of a lady gardener is pleasing to her. Her husband will probably not approve the innovation. “If I see the poor thing out working in a heavy downpour of rain, I shall feel a brute not to go and help her,” he will say as he smokes his pipe reflectively, and meditates over the follies of womenkind. But, I ask, what man head gardener need work in rain? If he does, he will probably do more harm than good, by making a mess of the ground. Need he, wet or fine, do much manual labour? No! his duties lie chiefly in directing the men under his charge; in executing the lighter, but more intricate work of pruning, thinning out grapes, and secretarial duties. Above all, he must plan the succession of crops. All these matters can be done equally well, if not more speedily, by an educated woman.

As this book aims at introducing lady gardeners to employers, I should like to ask for these gentlewomen the good treatment, absolute trust, gentle handling, which their position entitles them to receive. Without the entire confidence of their masters, no ladies would wish to take up a post, but with their support, and the power to dismiss those under their authority who they find are dishonest or undeserving, lady gardeners should be absolutely successful. 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!” Instead, therefore, of having someone to contend with, or a man whose obstinacy has to be circumvented before a bunch of sweet peas can be brought into the house, you will have a friend who will endeavour to give you all she can successfully grow, and whose taste and judgment can be relied upon.

Every year the number of women students at horticultural colleges increases. The profession appeals to many, and there are now a large number who, having completed their education, are seeking posts. Up to the present time, the supply is in excess of the demand. This is, I believe, the case with all professions until they have become firmly established. Employers still hesitate to try a lady gardener. Then, too, the ladies who up to now have desired to have women head gardeners, have usually possessed large gardens, needing many hands to work them. It is natural that the young woman who but lately was a student, superintended and guided in all her undertakings by a teacher, hesitates about managing a large garden. There are many such who still hold back in diffidence, hoping to obtain a small post first.

I sincerely trust, when this is fully realised by those interested in the success of women horticulturalists, that many owners of medium sized or small gardens will come forward and offer posts to women. A garden of one or two acres, with a small greenhouse, and only one or two labourers for rough work, will be best suited to a newly fledged lady gardener. She should be able to manage this, and two or three years spent in it will be a good preparation for a post entailing larger responsibilities. I do not think that anyone who is generous spirited enough to offer such posts to ladies will repent the act.