EDGINGS FOR GARDEN WALKS. 271 



at least satisfied with them. No garden with any pretensions to 

 artistic design can be so margined with anything like effect ; a 

 square brick or stone building, destitute of all architectural enrich- 

 ment, may, in the eyes of a few, be perfect, but it will scarcely be 

 admitted as such by those who are acquainted with the classic 

 works of a Wren or a Barry, the one being the square block thrust 

 from the quarry, the other bearing the impress of intellectuality. 

 As mouldings and enrichments express the character of a building, 

 so verges in the hands of a garden artist, if properly dealt with, 

 will effect the same object in ornamental grounds. It should be 

 the paramount object of the artist to keep these principles con- 

 tinually in view, and be able to discriminate the various circum- 

 stances which control the degree of embellishment and artistic 

 finish which a particular garden demands : hence, therefore, the 

 necessity of accumulated knowledge and extensive experience being 

 brought to bear on the subject, in order, on the one hand, that 

 balduess and puerility may be avoided, and on the other prodigal 

 extravagance and lavish excess. An acquaintance with the prin- 

 ciples of correct taste and their practical application is essential 

 to the proper dispositions of a garden, for glaring defects and 

 absurdities will, and must of necessity, always be the production 

 of an untutored mind. On terrace gardens, where a profusion of 

 sculptural ornaments is introduced, edgings of stone are frequently 

 employed, and with good effect when the walk does not extend to 

 the stone at the next marginal line, for in that case the roller is 

 prevented from defacing the stone, as it would otherwise do even 

 under the most cautious management. This objection applies to all 

 stone, slate, or tile edgings bordering beds against walks, how much 

 soever in character they may be. But this defacing of the verges 

 may, in most instances, be avoided. Supposing stone to constitute 

 an edging to a bed where flowering plants are placed, a narrow 

 verge of fine gravel, of a colour to contrast with the stone, may 

 extend round the exterior. Then a verge of turf may follow ; the 

 breadth of these exterior margins must be proportioned to the 

 extent of the garden and the size of the beds, this being a point of 

 great importance ; for, if the parterre is on a grand scale, then 

 these turf margins may be of sufficient breadth to admit of sculptural 

 decoration, and also of formal-growing evergreen shrubs, which 

 will heighten and improve the general effect. 



There are other kinds of gardens, besides the terrace-garden, 

 connected with the mansion, where edgings may with as much 

 propriety and equal consistency be introduced. The naked mass 



