270 TRANSACTIONS OF THE NORTHERN 



Every one knows that a large proportion of what is written on 

 Landscape Gardening is entirely over the heads or beyond the pockets of 

 the common people. Authors "have written for the millionaire, rather 

 than for the million." 



We will not attempt to define the limits separating the garden 

 proper from the landscape garden. The one necessarily runs into the 

 other. We would merely premise by saying that with the garden of the 

 millionaire we have nothing to do. He has no need of us. With large 

 territory, an unlimited supply of money, and the services of skilled 

 artisans at command, he can create beauty and even grandeur in any 

 location and in any style which he is pleased to adopt. 



This very unpretending paper refers to simple cottage homes, and 

 is addressed to the possessors of a few square rods, or a few acres at 

 most, of ground, with but little leisure time and less spare money. The 

 most that we hope to do, is to help these a little in their efforts to use 

 their limited means to the best possible advantage — to aid them in em- 

 ploying the treasures which Nature has thrown in their way, thus, by 

 blending, to domesticate Nature, whilst they enlarge and glorify art. 



In the very simplicity of our subject lies the main difficulty of treat- 

 ing it profitably. 



UNITY. 



A garden, like a landscape painting, a poem, a sermon, or almost 

 any other work of art, must have unity and perspective — a central 

 object to which all other portions have a correct bearing, a unifying 

 spirit or soul, pervading and giving life and expression to the whole, 

 and perspective, which is the result, as it were, of a kind of assorting 

 process, by means of which objects of secondary importance are grouped 

 and thrown into the distance. 



With the garden, the central object is of course, the dwelling, — 

 the unifying spirit is the home-love located there. This home-love, 

 reaching out into the love of flowers, of trees, of landscapes and of all 

 things beautiful in nature, creates the garden. All this is simple 

 enough; — so simple as to deserve the name of truism. 



The art consists in carrying out harmonious designs and exquisite 

 details, whilst remaining " en-rapport " with the genius of home. 

 Retaining the warm expression of home-life — with its visions of fireside 

 comfort, — of grand-mother's arm-chair, the baby's cradle and the chil- 

 dren's play-ground, — preserving, we say, the home aroma without the 

 homeliness of the good old times, to develop, enlarge, enrich and 

 beautify your grounds, with treasures of garden, field and forest. This 

 is your aim. 



It is impossible to draw patterns for our neighbor's plantation as 

 we would for a patch-work bed-quilt. General hints are all that the 

 wisest can give. 



Permit us again to refer to the painter's art. 



