OENERAL PRIKCIPLES. 163 



an artificial style of embellishment may fitly prevail to a 

 considerable degree, on the principle that the introduced 

 garden features ai*e yet decidedly subordinate in degree, 

 to the general features — in this case strongly artificial. 

 Thus urns and boxes filled with the brightest flowers 

 may be used in roof, portico, or window gardening, to a 

 degree that would be utterly out of place in the same 

 proportions in general gardening. So too, conspicuous 

 terraces and slopes are in better taste inclose conjunction 

 with buildings — especially large ones, than in the 

 midst of a garden not naturally very undulating. 



VAKIETY. 



In natural landscapes, it is the variety afforded by 

 woodland, meadow, mountain and water, the light and 

 shade in trees and plants, the sunshine and shadow, the 

 cheerfulness in forms, foliage and flowers, the spark- 

 ling of water, the sound of rills, and other of nature's 

 attractions that charm us. And then in such a distribu- 

 tion of these, as to render no two scenes alike, we find 

 great delight for our love of variety. This should lead 

 us to aim in gardening at introducing first, the peculiar 

 natural and other beauty each garden can best support 

 in good variety. Secondly, to act on nature's sugges- 

 tion, and vary the effects of different gardens as they 

 may allow. As no two natural landscapes are exactly 

 alike, so no two gardens ever need be. 



CHARACTER AKD EXPRESSION^. 



Individual character and positive qualities are as desir- 

 able in gardens as in architecture, or as they are in per- 

 sons. In the garden, these chiefly depend on the shape 

 of surface, the natural lay of the land, outlines, size and 

 character of the buildings, size and arrangement of trees, 

 walks, drives, etc. Some grounds are like some men. 



