Grainger's arrangement of this traditional English folk melody is a masterpiece of piano textures. It is known for its bright, bell-like quality and virtuosic demands on the player's dexterity.
At Henle 5 this is a late-intermediate piece — technically substantial, with musical demands to match. The main demands: fast passage work that stays light and even at tempo; precise articulation — the difference between crisp and blurred is the piece; and a left hand with real melodic or rhythmic responsibility of its own.
The primary challenge is achieving the required speed while keeping the articulation clear and the texture light.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
A level or two down with the same spirit — ideal if this piece is still out of reach.
Where this piece's skills lead: slightly harder works making similar technical demands.
Country gardens is rated Henle level 5 of 9 — late intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 6–7. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 7.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 5 — meaning you can already play level 4–5 pieces cleanly. Learning it one level early is possible as a stretch piece, but more than that usually leads to months of frustration.
A typical performance of Country gardens lasts about 3 minutes.
Country gardens is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.
Pieces at a comparable difficulty and character include Brigg Fair by Percy Grainger, Colonial Song by Percy Grainger, At Twilight by Percy Grainger — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.