Chapter I: Front Matter

Small Gardens and How to Make the Most of Them

SPECIAL NOTICE.

SEEDS

IF YOU WANT REALLY GOOD BULBS & SEEDS AT MODERATE PRICES, SEND TO

Mr. ROBERT SYDENHAM,
44, Tenby Street, Birmingham.

No One will serve you Better.

HIS UNIQUE LISTS

Are acknowledged by all to be the Best, Cheapest, and most Reliable ever published. They contain only the Best VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, AND BULBS WORTH GROWING.

Being the Selections of the Largest Seed Growers, Market Gardeners, and the most celebrated Professional Gardeners and Amateurs in the kingdom.

They also contain very useful cultural instructions.

Mr. SYDENHAM'S Bulbs and Seeds were represented and gained First Prizes at London, Birmingham, Preston, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Shrewsbury, Edinburgh, etc., etc., in 1893, 1894, 1895, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899 and 1900.

SWEET PEAS A SPECIALITY.

No Flowers give so much cut bloom at so little cost and trouble if treated as instructions sent with each collection.

12 good varieties, 50 seeds of each, 1s. 6d.; 12 choice varieties, 50 seeds of each, 2s.; or the Two Collections for 2s. 6d.; a Third Collection of the 12 best varieties for Exhibition, 3s.; or the Three Collections, 5s., post free, with a packet each of the four best striped varieties added free of charge. Generally sold at twice or three times the money.

THE BEST TOMATOES, 3d. per packet of 200 Seeds.
THE BEST CUCUMBERS, 6d. per packet of 10 Seeds.
ALL OTHER SEEDS equally cheap and good.

FULL LISTS POST FREE ON APPLICATION.

=PUT IT ON TOP= of your Fowlhouse, Tool or Bicycle Shed, or anything in the shape of a shed that you are building. Ask your ironmonger for our handy booklet, which will help you considerably with useful hints on building all kinds of structures, and roofing them with =RED HAND ROOFING FELT=

If your ironmonger has not got it, you can get it free, and name of nearest holder, from D. ANDERSON & SON, LD., LAGAN WORKS, BELFAST.

SPECIAL NOTICE.

LAXTON'S GRAND NEW LARGE-FRUITED, EARLY STRAWBERRY FOR 1901.

The "Laxton," THE IDEAL AMATEURS' AND MARKET GROWERS' FRUIT.

The Fruit that everyone must Grow!

_A DARKER, FIRMER, AND IMPROVED "ROYAL SOVEREIGN."_

We believe this to be by far the =finest= of our many introductions, and in it we claim to have combined all the good points of those two fine varieties from which it was raised, viz, "Royal Sovereign" and "Sir J. Paxton," and believe it to be the most wonderful Strawberry for earliness, size, firmness, quality, hardiness, and vigour of plant combined.

=The following are some of its good points--=

=Earliness.=--In earliness it is as early as "Royal Sovereign."

=Size.=--In size it is as large as, if not larger than, "Sovereign," and certainly larger than "Sir J. Paxton."

=Colour.=--But in colour it is much =darker and brighter= than "Sovereign," partaking of the rich colour and taking appearance of "Sir J. Paxton."

=Flavour.=--In flavour it is quite as rich as "Royal Sovereign."

=Firmness.=--It is also =much firmer= than "Sovereign," does not rot on the ground in damp weather, and is a far better traveller.

=Cropping Qualities.=--Its cropping qualities are prodigious, heavier than either "Sovereign" or "Paxton," throwing its bold tresses well above the foliage.

=Constitution.=--A very hardy and vigorous grower, retaining its foliage well in winter.

=Fast Selling Out for 1901.=--The demand for this variety has been already very large, and as the stock is small and is fast selling out, we must ask for early orders or we shall be unable to execute until 1902. =PLANTS IN POTS ONLY SUPPLIED.=

=PRICE 18s. per doz.; L5 per 100.=

(Not less than 1/2 at the doz. and 100 rates.) As the demand is very great, and the stock limited, the price cannot be much lower for several years. A Handsome Coloured Plate, and full descriptive Catalogue published shortly.

Free on application.

LAXTON BROTHERS, Strawberry Plant Growers and Specialists, BEDFORD.

SMALL GARDENS

Green's Lawn Mowers

Imitated by Many! Equalled by None! Over 270,000 Sold!

GREEN'S GARDEN ROLLERS ARE UNSURPASSED!

Known and appreciated throughout the World.

THOS. GREEN & SON, Ltd.,
Blackfriars Road, LONDON, S.E., and LEEDS.

_Please write for List, S. G., 1901. May be had from Local Ironmongers and Seedsmen._

Small Gardens and How to make the most of them

By Violet Purton Biddle

London
C. Arthur Pearson Ltd.
Henrietta Street
W.C.

[Sidenote: Patent Coil Stake]

NOTICE.

DON'T STAKE YOUR CARNATIONS
TILL YOU HAVE SEEN THE
Patent Improved Coil Stake.

No Tying required. Stakes last a Lifetime. The Greatest Boon ever offered to Growers. Only wants seeing.

_Prices (Cash with Order)_:--

20in., = 7/6= per 100, =1/-= per doz.
25in., =10/6= " =1/6= "
30in., =13/6= " =2/-= "
36in., stouter, =17/6= per 100, =2/6= per doz.

=A. PORTER=, Stone House, =MAIDSTONE=.

[Sidenote: Fruit Trees, Shrubs, Seeds, etc.]

THE FINEST APPLE ON EARTH IS UNDOUBTEDLY BRAMLEY'S SEEDLING, Unequalled for Productiveness and Quality.

ALL KINDS OF FRUIT TREES ON OFFER TO SUIT EVERY PLANTER.

THE ROSE (the Queen of Flowers), All new varieties stocked.

FLOWERING AND ORNAMENTAL SHRUBS A SPECIALITY.

My Flower and Vegetable Seeds cannot be excelled.

Send for my lists which contain valuable remarks on Profitable Fruit Growing. Free on application to--

Henry Merryweather, The Nurseries, Southwell, Notts.

[Sidenote: Garden Netting]

TANNED GARDEN NETTING.

Protect your Strawberry Beds, Seeds, &c., from the ravages of birds.

NETS OILED AND DRESSED; 36 SQUARE YARDS FOR 1/-.

Can be sent any width or length; carriage paid on orders over 6s.

HENRY ROBINSON, GARDEN NET WORKS, RYE, SUSSEX.

[Sidenote: Plants for Small Gardens]

SMALL GARDENS AND HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF THEM

(_COUNTRY OR SUBURBAN_).

=Send a small Rough Plan of your Garden=, showing points of the compass, and stating whether in town, country, or suburb, to Mr. WOOD, and he will give you a list of PLANTS sufficient and suitable for the different positions. Communication in regard to _Rockeries_ and _Rock Plants_ is specially invited. List of

ALPINES, Hardy HERBACEOUS PLANTS and AQUATICS
on application to
J. WOOD, Woodville, Kirkstall, LEEDS.

SYNOPSIS OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

=The General Arrangement of the Garden=

_What to go in for, and what to avoid--Brick walls--Trees, their advantages and disadvantages, etc._

CHAPTER II

=Lawns, Paths, Beds, and Border=

_How to keep the lawns level--Paths, and how to lay them--Beds and bedding--The new style VERSUS the old--Flower borders and their backgrounds--Improvement of the soil._

CHAPTER III

=On the Duty of Making Experiments=

_Description of a small yet lovely garden--Colour schemes--A novel way of growing flowers, the spring dell--Variety in the flower-garden._

CHAPTER IV

=Some Neglected but Handsome Plants=

_The sweet old columbine--BOCCONIA CORDATA at Hampton Court--CAMPANULAS as continuous bloomers--The heavenly larkspurs--Christmas roses--The tall and brilliant lobelias--Chinese-lantern plants--Tufted pansies._

CHAPTER V

=The Conservatory and Greenhouse=

_Mistakes in staging--Some suitable climbers--Economical heating--Aspect, shading, etc.--The storing of plants--No waste space--Frames._

CHAPTER VI

=The Tool Shed and Summer-House=

_Spades and the Bishop--Weeding a pleasure--Trusty thermometers-- Summer-houses and their adornment._

CHAPTER VII

=Roses for Amateurs=

_Teas--Hybrid perpetuals--Bourbons--Rose-hedges--Pillar roses--Suitable soil._

CHAPTER VIII

=Enemies of the Garden=

_Slugs, and how to trap them--Blight or green fly--Earwigs--Wireworms-- Snails--Mice--Friends or Foes?_

CHAPTER IX

=The Rockery=

_A few hints on its construction--Aspect and soil--A list of alpines-- Other suitable plants._

CHAPTER X

=Trees, and How to Treat Them--Shrubs=

_Some good plants for growing beneath trees--List of hardy shrubs-- Climbers--Enriching the soil._

CHAPTER XI

=The Ins and Outs of Gardening=

_Planting--Watering--"Puddling"--Shelter--Youth and age, in relation to plants--Catalogue defects--A time for everything._

CHAPTER XII

=The Profitable Portion=

_Fruit, best kinds for small gardens--Size minus flavour--Vegetables-- Herbs._

CHAPTER XIII

=Annuals and Biennials=

_Why they fail--Table of good annuals--Table of biennials._

CHAPTER XIV

=Window-Boxes=

_How to make them--Relation of box to residence they are intended to adorn--Suitable soil--Window-plants for different aspects._

CHAPTER XV

=Table Decoration=

_Graceful arrangement--Thick-skinned stems--Preserving and resuscitating flowers--Colour schemes--Table of flowers in season._

CHAPTER XVI

=The Propagation of Plants=

_By division--By cuttings--By seeds--By layers._

CHAPTER XVII

=The Management of Room Plants=

_Best kinds for "roughing it"--Importance of cleanliness--The proper way of watering them._