THERE is something so peaceful about a summer evening in a cottage garden which cannot be created overnight except, of course, at the annual Chelsea Flower Show.

Unfortunately, however, there they are up, running and gone before you can say Royal Hort-icultural Society, writes Jen Green.

Quintessentially English, you don't have to live in the country to be a cottage gardener and it is nothing to do with chocolate box images either. People keen enough to discover some of the secrets of growing a typical cottage garden can join the Cottage Garden Society and share the pleasures.

Formed in 1982 for small garden owners who want to keep gardening tradition alive, since its inception interest in a wide variety of old-fashioned flowers and plants has been established by bringing together enthusiastic experts and amateurs to share an interest in the type of cultivation.

Clive Lane from national headquarters explains: "Membership continues to increase in and around south Shropshire and north Here-fordshire and, once you're hooked on cottage gardens, the love of this type gardening never leaves you."

There are branches of the society all over the country and Elizabeth Barnfield, who lives at Munslow, is treasurer of the Shropshire group. Her traditional cottage garden surrounding her 19th century home has a vegetable patch, pond and a 'wild bit' with penstemon, dianthus and an 8ft tall teasel that challenge the flower beds for prime position and attention.

She said: "The wild style is a less time-consuming method of cultivation compared to more formal flower beds, and to some extent I like to let plants run riot and bond close together making is less weeding. However, it does become more labour intensive in the autumn," she added.

An innovative seed exchange run by the society keeps old fashioned garden flowers on the horticultural agenda, members swop old varieties from their gardens to avoid the tangle of EC red tape and regulations that prevents members selling them on.

A propagation scheme and seed distribution service allows members to chose 12 packets of seeds each year from over 2,000 varieties.

The profusion of colour in many a cottage garden stems from hollyhocks, delphiniums, and nasturtiums, the delicate pastels shades come with sweet peas, forget-me-not, stocks and roses 'round the door'. On warm summer evenings when the heady perfume of night scented stock fills the air, the literary romance of yester-year catches up with time.

The Cottage Garden quarterly newsletter reaches faraway places like New Zealand, Canada and Japan and, as well as advice and information, it contains listings of meetings, social events and visits to gardens -- not big estates and well know places -- but the unsung small, private ones that offer glimpses rare enough to stimulate ideas.

The highlight of the year for the Shropshire branch is the Grand Sprint Plant Sale at Acton Scott Working Farm, held annually on May Bank Holiday Monday. Many unusual varieties of plants are offered for sale, and this year, in a change of policy, proceeds have been given to the Hope Hospice.

Mrs. Barnfield said, "The sale was originally set up to help fund the branch, but because membership continues to rise we are becoming more self supporting, so we are donating our profits to local good causes."

Cottage gardens have an everlasting appeal that will last long into the new century, and a handy guide on planning and planting is available from Mrs P Taylor, Old Hall Cottage, Pump Lane, Churton, Cheshire, priced at £2.50 (inc.p&p.) For more information about the Shropshire Cottage Garden Society, contact Elizabeth Barnfield on 01854 841439.