THE AMATEUR GARDEN 



nation of our American preferences is away from 

 that intense sort of gardening called "formal," 

 and toward that rather unfairly termed "in- 

 formal" method which here, at least, I should 

 like to distinguish as "free-line" gardening. A 

 free people who govern leniently will garden 

 leniently. Their gardening will not be a vexing 

 tax upon themselves, upon others, or upon the 

 garden. Whatever freedom it takes away from 

 themselves or others or the garden will be no 

 more than is required for the noblest delight; 

 and whatever freedom remains untaken, such 

 gardening will help everybody to exercise and 

 enjoy. 



The garden of free lines, provided only it be a 

 real garden under a real government, is, to my 

 eye, an angel's protest against every species and 

 degree of tyranny and oppression, and such a 

 garden, however small or extensive, will contain 

 a large proportion of flowering shrubbery. Be- 

 cause a garden should not, any more than my 

 lady's face, have all its features — nose, eyes, 

 ears, lips — of one size ? No, that is true of 

 all gardening alike; but because with flowering 



84 



