COTTAGE RESIDENCES. 



Cottage Residences: or a series of Designs for Rural Cottages and Cottage Villas, 



and their Gardens and Grounds; adapted to North America. By A. J. Downing. 



Illustrated by numerous engavings. Fourth edition, revised, enlarged and improved. 



New-York: John AViley, 18 Park Place, 1852. 

 It is neither fitting nor necessary, that we should say anything as to the merits of this 

 volume. The circulation of several extra large editions, and the results all over the coun- 

 try in the shape of numberless cottages and villas, erected from the designs it contains, 

 are, perhaps, sufficient proof that it has both found favor in the eyes of the public, and 

 has exerted a considerable share of influence in the formation of the popular taste for 

 rural architecture. 



The present edition, just issued from the press, will be found to contain several new 

 designs for cottages, lodges, &c., with considerable additional matter, and the original text 

 entirely revised throughout. 



The most important addition, however, is a chapter entitled, " Further hints on the 

 Gardens and Grounds of Cottage Residences." In this chapter we have given general 

 directions, accompanied with plans, for the laying out of plots of ground, from the small- 

 est parterre of flowers, to the largest area in which a cottage may usually be supposed to 

 be placed. The different styles of flower gardens — the flower garden consisting of beds and 

 masses or turf — the geometrical flower garden — the Elizabethan flower garden — the Eng- 

 lish flower garden and shrubber}^ — the labyrinth of shrubs — and various French and 

 German plans for cottage gardens and grounds, are explained and illustrated in a way 

 that we trust will be found of practical value. 



This part of the work is, we think, particularly needed by ladies, who, for the most 

 part, take in hand the laying out of the ornamental grounds of their cottage homes j and, 

 in doing so, are frequently at a loss for hints and sketches, which, if not precisely adapted 

 to their own grounds, might at least suggest to their own minds, such variations as would 

 exactly answer the desired purpose. 



"We give, as a specimen of this part of the work, the following extract and plan, which 

 may be in season to interest some of our readers now busy with the arrangement of their 

 ornamental grounds. 



" In presenting all these various modes of arranging flower gardens, we must be allow- 

 ed to say that the modern taste of discarding any set flower garden, and, instead of it, 

 arranging the beds of choice perpetual blooming plants, in and around a small lawn, in 

 graceful and harmonious forms, is by far the most satisfactory in the majority of cases. 

 It is especiall}^ so in all small places, where the ornamental grounds are too limited to al- 

 low of separate scenes. In such cases, the grouping of flowers round a lawn, having only 

 one or two colors in a bed, heightens the beauty of the lawn itself, while the flowers are 

 enjoyed, perhaps, more than in any other way. 



" Fig. 102 is a design of our own, of this kind, which has been carried out and found ex- 

 tremely pretty and satisfactory. In this, A. is the dHelling-house; B. the conser- 

 vatory, (a detached building one side of the lawn;) 0. the lawn; D. flowerbeds; E. vase, 

 fountain, sun-dial, or rustic basket filled with flowers. Round the whole runs a bounda- 

 ry belt, F. of trees and shrubs — shutting out all that portion of the grounds not strictly 

 ornamental. In practice, it is found that small circular beds, about three feet in diame- 

 ter, grouped in twos and threes, (like those on the left of D.) are more convenient and 



