Gardens in Australia: Their Designs and Care

This book has a twofold purpose – to give pleasure, as a thing of beauty, while also providing practical help to those making new gardens or intending to reconstruct old ones. Numerous books concerning gardening have been written from the point of view of the cultivation of plants, but few, as this one, on the subject of garden building. The pictures and text are the work of one who has practiced the art of garden making in Australia for the past twenty years, embracing gardens of but 50 feet frontage to those of acres in country districts. Inspiration and help will be derived from the examples of work and from the practical solutions given to problems met with every day in garden making. Those who have not much to spend upon their gardens need not be discouraged by the pictures of gardens in this book showing no restriction on the use of their owners’ purses, because, in garden design, the main consideration is that it be a fit setting to the architecture of the house, and it is obvious that these large gardens surround residences of corresponding size. Moreover, very often gardens planned for and constructed upon large estates are quite applicable to much smaller areas, as will be seen from pictures and planting plans given in this book. Many examples are given of work that any owner can quite well carry out himself on a limited area, and with materials at modest cost. Thus, this book is confidently recommended to all who are contemplating the making of a garden, whether it be a large or small one, or whether funds are limited or in plenty. Much care has been taken that tit shall worthily show those outside Australia how beautiful our gardens can be.