308 PRACTICAL GARDEXING. 



plautations are cMefly evergreens, tliey enable ns to enjoy the 

 garden in winter. It would occup}" a Tolume to describe the 

 variety of forms that may be adopted for buildings of this 

 kind. The plantations of each side should be carefully 

 arranged : the main features should be evergreen ; the back- 

 ground may be varied with deciduous trees. The evergreens 

 should be diversified, in habit and foliage ; the conifers 

 should be conspicuous ; for nothing is more graceful, nothing 

 more varied. If there be any portion of the ground more 

 elevated than the rest, that should be the chosen spot ; and 

 if not, a mound should be formed, if possible, in the best part 

 of the ground for an extensive, or at least an interesting view; 

 and regard should be had to making the temple a fine object 

 from the mansion. Well imitated ruins are noble orna- 

 ments in a garden if properly carried out, — not as we have 

 seen, mimic castles, the size of an old watch-box, but portions 

 of something at least the size of something real. There is no 

 occasion to construct anything very gigantic, but if it be only 

 the remains of an old wall, let it be the proper tldckness of an 

 old wall. iN'o thing is more contemptible than the imitation 

 of a large castle on a small scale ; whatever there is standing 

 of the elevation should be as large as would make it useful 

 It may be impossible to construct ruins on the scale of an old 

 Xorman castle, but the remains of an old wall tower would be 

 as interesting, and altogether in keeping. The principal 

 object is to impress the mind with a notion of reality. Per- 

 haps there are few things generally constructed more ugly 

 than ice-houses ; yet, as the nsefal portion is under ground, 

 and the only object is to keep off the sun, there is no good 

 reason why the portion above ground should not be orna- 

 mental : we do not mean that there should be a toy-like 

 elevation ; but we hardly know a more appropriate object 

 than a ruin. JN^o thing could be cooler than a mass of brick- 

 work above the ice-well. The architect might indulge his 

 fancy to any extent, so that he provided a doorway, and took 

 care that his general superstructure completely intercepted 

 the heat of the sun. There is no reason why it should not 

 be shaded with trees ; while the object, instead of being so 

 ugly that it is necessarily planted out and hidden, might be 

 made an object of interest instead of an ugly brick and thatch 

 hovel. A ruin is not the less effective when secluded ; in 

 fact, if more attention were paid to garden architecture, there 



