KITCHEN-GARDEN AND ORCHARD
Hitherto we have mainly considered that part of garden design which has
for its object the production of pleasant scenes, of pictures formed
by gay flowers, and beauteous carpets and backgrounds of greenery. But
utilitarian ends have yet to be served, and fruits and vegetables must
be grown to supply our needs. There need be nothing dull or prosaic
about the kitchen-garden and orchard, distinct though they be from that
which is purely ornamental. The truest garden pictures are often to be
found in these seemingly severe and business-like quarters, and these
without in any way varying the keynote of utility, which is the chief
reason for their existence.
A foolish prejudice has of recent years been raised against the
kitchen-garden, and the designer is often asked to hide it away in some
remote corner of the plan. It must be carefully screened away from the
gaze of visitors, as though there were something to be ashamed of in
being the possessor of a piece of ground, where the best of fruits may
be grown, and gathered in the freshest condition. Personally I would
rather wander in such plebeian quarters than in many of the tricked-out
landscape gardens which excite such wonderment and admiration. Are
there not a thousand sights dear to the heart of the nature lover—the
tender blossoms of the fruit-trees, the drowsy hum of bees, the
old-fashioned lavender hedges and reserve borders of mixed flowers
for cutting? Even is there beauty of flower and foliage in many of the
humblest vegetables, a beauty which, because unlooked for, is doubly
welcome.
The site of the kitchen-garden should be fixed in close proximity to
the house and stables. On no account should it be so arranged that a
portion of the pleasure ground must be traversed to reach it. If it can
be walled in so much the better, both on account of the added shelter
and for the facilities afforded for the growing of wall fruit. The plan
should be entirely regular, the walks crossing one another at right
angles, the fruit borders and vegetable beds laid out with due regard
to convenience and economy of space.
A suitable aspect is very important—land having a gentle slope to the
south being by far the most suitable. In any case the position should
be an open one, with free exposure to the sunlight. The presence of
large trees, whose branches overshade and roots impoverish the soil,
will be extremely prejudicial. The question of boundaries is one in
which the initial cost will be more considered than the adaptability
of various forms to certain situations. A good yew hedge, or even a
split oak fence, may occasionally prove useful, but nothing can equal
the merits of well built walls. No doubt they are expensive, but a
close examination proves that they are really more economical in the
long run. If well built, and properly treated, they last some hundreds
of years; they provide the best form of shelter, enabling a variety of
tender vegetables to be grown, without the loss occasioned by cold and
exposure: they afford support for trained fruit-trees, which by their
high-class crops return no insignificant proportion of the initial
outlay. The hedge, cheaper though it is at the outset, possesses few
of these advantages. Constant attention, in the shape of clipping and
training, is necessary, if it is to afford adequate shelter; it is
many years before it is of sufficient size to compete with the wall;
it is useless as a support for fruit-trees, and its roots deprive
the crops in neighbouring borders of much of the fertility which is
rightly theirs. The highest walls should face the coldest quarters,
the north, east and west. A good height for a north wall would be
twelve or even fourteen feet; for the two side walls ten feet, and for
the south wall six or seven feet. A coping, either of stone or bricks
set at an angle, should always be found on kitchen-garden walls, the
projection on either side being at least two inches. The face of the
wall should be perfectly smooth to facilitate the training of trees,
but on the outer side buttresses or any ornamental details harmonising
with the architectural work in the rest of the garden, may be employed
to obviate monotony. Detailed descriptions of mural work would be out
of place here, but the owner is advised to see that the wall is well
pointed, so that there shall be no crevices likely to harbour vermin.
Training wires are much better than nailing the branches to the wall,
a practice which weakens the brickwork and involves more trouble and
risk of injury. The eyelets, at any rate the chief ones, to which the
wires will be attached and strained, should be built into the wall and
not driven in subsequently. They will thus be much firmer in position,
and the wall will remain uninjured. Suitable irons, from which nets may
be hung as a protection from frost and birds, may also be fixed at the
same time.
In a stone country, this material will take the place of bricks, as
being more in keeping for garden walls.
A delightful approach to the kitchen-garden may be made by way of a
deeply-arched opening in the wall; a pair of bent iron gates would
look charming set in a grey stone wall, much better than a door. Too
often the kitchen garden is gained by passing through a doorway which
suggests the entrance of a prison cell: these massive, nail-studded
arrangements are strangely out of keeping with the freedom and
freshness of the garden. By means of a few clumps of gay herbaceous
flowers just inside the kitchen-garden entrance, there will be no need
to screen this department off from the rest of the garden: in fact, a
very pleasant vista may be arranged from one to the other.
Whether the garden is surrounded by walls or hedge, a wide border
should be formed immediately next the boundary line. In the case of
walls, this is especially desirable, as enabling a suitable root medium
to be provided for the choice fruit-trees which will be trained to
them. These borders will vary in width, partly according to the aspect,
but mainly with reference to the size of the garden. A twelve-foot
border is perhaps as satisfactory as any, but eighteen feet is no
uncommon width in larger establishments. Under a wall facing north,
the width of the border need seldom be more than six feet. It is well
to devote very careful attention to the preparation of these borders,
thorough drainage being the first essential. The soil may also be
removed to a depth of two and a half feet, and a layer of stones, brick
rubbish, and other material spread at the bottom; this will prevent the
roots of the fruit-trees from striking too deeply. If some old turf and
manure be placed above and the soil finally returned, the border will
be in the best condition for planting. A gentle fall from back to front
should be contrived, so that sun and air may reach all parts of the
crop.
One of the primary essentials for the kitchen-garden is the formation
of really good walks. Constant traffic, the passage to and fro of
water-carts and wheelbarrows, would soon cut up a half-made pathway
and render it almost useless. Nothing can be nicer than broad
flags, both for appearance and utility, but unless stone happens to
be plentiful in the neighbourhood, the expense of these would be
considerable. Tar walks, though entirely objectionable in the flower
garden, are sometimes tolerated here, and are both durable and fairly
satisfactory. A good gravel path lasts a long time if kept constantly
in repair, but the main considerations are good gravel and plenty of
it. Kitchen-garden paths should always be of fair width, though in a
small place every available inch of ground must be pressed into service
for cropping purposes. A wide walk possesses many advantages—it enables
barrows and carts to pass without the necessity of one or other being
taken back, and generally facilitates those operations which are in a
sense peculiar to the vegetable department.
Next to the pathway on the inner side, a smaller border for herbaceous
plants may be made. From these plants the chief supplies of cut
flowers for the house would be obtained, as it is often undesirable to
denude the garden borders for the purpose. A four-foot border would be
sufficient, and when filled with gay perennials would prove a charming
and useful feature of the design. Behind this border a suitable
opportunity occurs for a row of espalier fruit-trees, and these might
be continued round each division of the garden, with suitable breaks
at intervals for obtaining access to the ground behind them. The
smaller the garden, the more suitable would be the espalier method of
training, as it occupies the minimum of space, allows the fruit to
ripen freely, and gives opportunity for those cultural details which
are with difficulty performed on standard or bush trees. The usual
style of fence is one formed of iron uprights and strained wires, but
this is not so picturesque as a combination of wood and wire. If in
addition to wooden posts, a top rail is added, the effect of the whole
when covered with branches in full blossom is beautiful in the extreme.
In suitable situations, notably short pathways leading from one part
of the kitchen-garden to another, the espalier fences may be brought
almost to the edge of the walk, and the two joined by a succession of
iron arches with strained wires from one to the other. Long bowers of
fruit-trees may thus be made, and having regard to the economy of space
thus effected, and the high quality crops which may be obtained by this
means, the practice is worthy of further extension.
A good water supply, either in or near the kitchen-garden, is very
necessary. It is advisable also that some provision exist for exposing
water intended for garden plants to the air for some time before
use. A pump with an open cistern attached is good, if not altogether
picturesque, but a circular tank, such as may be found in many old
gardens, combines both principles. A good position for a sunk tank
would be at the junction of four paths, which if the garden is laid out
on the rectangular system advised, would be the exact centre, thereby
giving convenient access from all points. A stone coping would give
the necessary finish to the tank and at the same time prevent anyone
falling in. By the by, it would be well if designers would sometimes
devote more attention towards rendering fountains, lily ponds, and
other such introductions, safe. I remember once looking over some fine
gardens in company with other visitors, when an incident of this kind
occurred. A lady, carried away by the beauty of the surroundings,
entirely failed to notice a small lily tank placed at the angle of a
pathway. The consequences were disastrous, but I hardly know which of
the two suffered the more—the lady, as she surveyed the bedraggled
remains of a Paris frock, or the owner, at the loss of a specially
choice Nymphæa. Such is the enthusiasm of the lily specialist, that I
rather incline towards the latter!
Adjoining the kitchen-garden and communicating easily with it, there
should be a sufficiently large enclosure to contain the frame ground,
hot beds, compost and manure heaps. It is a great advantage to have
these outside the walls of the garden itself, as a certain amount of
untidiness is inseparable from such quarters. An entrance from the
stable yard, large enough to admit a horse and cart, will be needed,
as naturally much of the manure will be brought here for hot beds,
preparation of compost heaps, etc. A small reserve ground would also
fittingly adjoin, where plants for bedding and other purposes could be
grown until needed.
In gardens of considerable extent, a well built toolhouse would prove
an inestimable benefit. If built in two stories, the upper portion
might be used as a fruit room, though I certainly prefer underground
structures for the purpose; whilst the lower would accommodate lawn
mowers, garden implements, and other impedimenta. As only places of
considerable extent will require buildings of this description, it is
unnecessary to do more than make passing reference to them; however,
those whom it may concern should devote some attention to the matter,
as it is surprising to note the number of large gardens which are
miserably provided with suitable structures.
The orchard is the glory of many of our old country gardens, providing
scenes of beauty which not even the choicest artificial planning
and arrangement can compass. The orchard beautiful is perfectly
distinct from the orchard utilitarian, though owing to neglect and the
consequent assertion of Nature’s ways, the former often takes the place
of the latter. Shelter is perhaps the most important consideration
where fruit-trees are concerned, and as in the orchard this will not
be attained by walls, thick belts of evergreen and deciduous trees
should be planted on the more exposed sides. Damsons make excellent
shelter trees, and are both beautiful in flower and welcome in fruit.
A well-drained, sunny position should always be chosen, and if the
trees are to be grown on the plantation system, that is on arable land,
there is no need for the site to be easily approached from the pleasure
grounds. Except during the blossom season the utility orchard is not
particularly beautiful, and there is little inducement for visitors to
make it part of their round of inspection. However, it should always be
so situated that the fruit may be safe from trespassers, who are often
troublesome when the orchard is close to a main road.
The old grass land orchard, filled with picturesque standard trees, is
capable of being made a wild garden of true beauty. In early spring
we may have troops of golden daffodils and silvery narcissi, making
vistas of colour among the lines of grey trunks. Ropes of purple
and white clematis may festoon the trees, and some of the semi-wild
roses, with their rich foliage and single flowers will fill the hedges
and ramble over the banks. The cool swordlike foliage of Iris, with
the stately spikes of flowers, the old-fashioned holly-hocks and
spreading clumps of poppies, may all find a home in the chequered shade
of the orchard. White Madonna lilies will fringe the pathway, and
honeysuckle and sweetbriar would welcome us at the gate. But lest I be
misunderstood—this orchard, lovely though it be and easy of attainment,
is not for fruit; at least the crops will be small and blemished, and
very different to those from the market grower’s plantation, where
the idea of climbers twisting among the branches of the trees would
be regarded as an act of vandalism. But to the lover of flowers, the
setting of an old orchard is so precious, that some sacrifice is
willingly made to enable the possession of this kind of wild garden.