PREFACE 



THERE have been several authoritative books 

 written entitled Observations or Hints on Mod- 

 ern Gardening or else the Theory and Practice 

 of Landscape Gardening. In later times, however, it 

 has been felt that a title of wider scope was needed than 

 "landscape gardening," which seems to limit the sub- 

 ject in the minds of many to the treatment of a flower 

 garden or an exhibition of brilliant colour in a parterre 

 of bedding plants. 



An architect, taken from the Greek, means master 

 builder. He is one who designs and frames any com- 

 plex structure; one who arranges elementary material 

 on a comprehensive plan. 



Plato made "the causes of things to be matter, ideas, 

 and an efficient architect." Although the term archi- 

 tect has come to mean almost exclusively master 

 builders in wood, stone, iron, etc., the term landscape 

 architect is equally appropriate. A landscape artist, 

 who creates scenery from trees and flowers and earth 

 and rock and water, arranges elementary materials on 

 a comprehensive plan. He has his standards of work- 

 manship like the architect, and these standards are 

 subtle and difficult to establish and explain, because 



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