316 PK ACTIO AL GARDENING. 



gardens is tliat figures are attempted on too elaborate a scale ; 

 they look well enough in theory, very pretty when empty, 

 because we can see every little tm-n and corner in the figure ; 

 but put plants in only six inches high, and the figure is lost. 

 Let all figures be bold, simple, and easily seen when planted. 

 There is no mistake in a cii'cle, or half-circle, or square, or 

 oblong -. but what sense would there be in an octagon ?— the 

 straight angles would be lost when the plants grew, or when 

 we were at a httle distance. In like manner, any very sharp 

 angle would be lost as soon as plants grew up a httle. What- 

 ever, therefore, be the design, some care must be taken to use 

 no figure that could not be seen to advantage, and always to 

 adapt it to the height of the plants to be groAvn there. The 

 road up to the entrance of a mansion should be the segment 

 of a circle, for the sake of convenience ; or the entire road 

 from the entrance might be a whole cuxle : but the back-front 

 of the house is the place to display taste in the terrace-walk. 

 The garden at the back may have an enth-e walk of four 

 straight sides going completely about the space, or at least so 

 nearly as brings us -within sight of the boundaries ; or there 

 may be a square space enclosed, as it were, by four straight 

 walks ; or the entire space may be compressed by a terrace- 

 walk the whole width parallel with the back-front, and other 

 walks uniformly diverging to the extent of length, ^uth 

 avenues of trees or shrubs, and terminating with some object; 

 and in these avenues there may be statues, fountains, sun- 

 dials, or whatever other device may please the taste. There 

 should, however, be grass or flower borders, or both, on each 

 side these walks, planned uniformly and planted uniformly. 

 There can be no set rules for the laying out of a formal 

 garden, but there are some points worth considering. If, for 

 isistance, we have an avenue of trees in a garden, it would be 

 most desirable if we could make an opening through all the 

 wood in the adjoining premises, because then the eflect would 

 be so much more grand. 



Whenever a walk is very long, there should be breaks 

 where seats could be placed. If we have to put a gate at the 

 end of a walk, to give an idea of space, let the walk ter- 

 minate twenty yards before we reach the end of the grounds, 

 and let a cross-walk appear on the other side of the gate ; or, 

 if it be preferred, let ad beyond the gate be lawn or grass, and 

 planting conceal the boundary, whether it be palings or waU. 



