54 On a Method of 



not delay it longer. I had thought that it might possibly be 

 known to others as well as myself; and was unwilling to pro- 

 duce as a novelty what might not prove one ; yet, having now 

 communicated it to numerous persons, to all of whom it was 

 unknown, and not having seen, in this country, a single 

 attempt of the same nature, I suppose I may venture to pre- 

 sume that this notice will in reality present a novelty, and, 

 slender as the fact is, a new source of ornament and amuse- 

 ment in a department which ought to despise nothing, since its 

 sole ends are but amusement and ornament. The bare fact 

 itself is known to every gardener, and even to botanists \ but 

 the application has been overlooked, or Art has neglected to 

 profit by what Nature offers to its eyes every day. 



I allude to the facility with which many plants, a great 

 range, in fact, of even highly ornamental flowers, grow in or 

 on walls ; in many cases, even selecting them in preference, 

 where the choice is left to themselves. And when I recall this 

 familiar fact to horticultural readers, there are some who will, 

 perhaps, immediately see the application here intended ; but 

 as none seem yet to have done that, I may be allowed to point 

 it out. 



In the ancient architectural gardens, masonry formed an 

 essential ingredient ; and, in a great measure also, it was 

 necessary, that this masonry should be displayed, because it 

 belonged to an architectural composition. We may regret, in 

 passing, that the rage of innovation, too often hurrying from 

 one fault to its opposite, has swept all this away ; yet, though 

 modern gardening has not only done this, but attempted to 

 exclude all sight of such art, it cannot always and everywhere 

 succeed. In many ancient establishments there are still sub- 

 sisting remains at least of former ages, maintained through 

 necessity or other causes, yet, in general, now producing only 

 deformity, divested as they have been of all to which they once 

 belonged, and, often, further associated with modern freedom, 

 so as to produce effects scarcely less dissonant than would 

 arise from an intermixture of modern and ancient fashions in 

 dress. In other cases, walls are matter of necessity, for the 

 mere purposes of defence or separation ; or perhaps the wall 

 of the fruit and kitchen -garden, unoccupied by fruit-trees, in- 



