Chapter I: Front Matter

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_OTHER BEAUTIFUL BOOKS
ON FLOWERS AND GARDENS_

Each containing full-page illustrations in
colour similar to those in this volume

FLOWERS AND GARDENS OF JAPAN
ALPINE FLOWERS AND GARDENS
BRITISH FLORAL DECORATION
DUTCH BULBS AND GARDENS
FLOWERS AND GARDENS OF MADEIRA
THE GARDEN THAT I LOVE
GARDENS OF ENGLAND
KEW GARDENS

A. & C. BLACK, SOHO SQUARE, LONDON

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THE CHARM OF GARDENS

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AGENTS

AMERICA THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
64 & 66 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK

AUSTRALASIA THE OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
205 FLINDERS LANE, MELBOURNE

CANADA THE MACMILLAN COMPANY OF CANADA LTD.
ST. MARTIN’S HOUSE, 70 BOND STREET, TORONTO

INDIA MACMILLAN & COMPANY LTD.
MACMILLAN BUILDING, BOMBAY
309 BOW BAZAAR STREET, CALCUTTA

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THE

CHARM OF GARDENS

BY

DION CLAYTON CALTHROP

WITH THIRTY-TWO FULL-PAGE
ILLUSTRATIONS IN COLOUR

PUBLISHED BY . 4 SOHO SQUARE
ADAM & CHARLES LONDON . . W.
BLACK . . . . MCMXI . . . .

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_The illustrations in this volume have been selected
from volumes in Black’s Series of Beautiful Books_

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TO

F. M. MARSDEN

WITHOUT WHOSE HELP THIS BOOK COULD
NEVER HAVE BEEN WRITTEN
FROM
HER AFFECTIONATE
SON-IN-LAW

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CONTENTS

PART I

A VIEW OF ENGLAND

PAGE
I. THE SPIRIT OF GARDENS 3

II. THE GARDEN OF ENGLAND: THE PATCHWORK QUILT 10

III. A COUNTRY LANE: A MEMORY FROM ABROAD 18

IV. FIELDS 23

V. EPISODE OF THE CONTENTED TAILOR 27

VI. THE BLUEBELL WOOD AND THE CALM STONE DOG 35

VII. THE TAILOR’S SISTER’S TOMBSTONE 42

VIII. THE COTTAGE GARDEN 54

IX. A FEAST OF WILD STRAWBERRIES 64

X. THE PRAISES OF A COUNTRY LIFE 71

PART II

GARDENS AND HISTORY

I. THE ROMAN GARDEN IN ENGLAND 75

II. ST. FIACRE, PATRON SAINT OF GARDENERS AND
CAB-DRIVERS 88

III. EVELYN’S “SYLVA” 96

PART III

KALENDARIUM HORTENSE 108