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ORXAMEXTAL GARDEXI25'G. 



to many persons one of the greatest objections, namely, 

 the prevailing blankness of the slopes as frequently seen. 

 What is called a Sunken Garden consists of depressed 

 terraces of one or more levels — square, round or other 

 shape — constructed lower than the general surface, and 

 meeting with it by some well-formed, easy slopes. On 

 these lower levels flowers, shrubs, vases, fountains and 

 so forth are displayed, all designed to be viewed from 

 above. Sometimes there are walks and stairs leading 

 down to the lower levels. The making of such gardens is 

 recommended only with caution, as rarely can they be 

 made to serve as good a purpose, even for the sake of in- 

 creased variety, as the same area and conditions treated 

 more naturally. 



I have sometimes employed a style of small terraces 

 retained by a stone coping with good effect, as shown in 



figure 21. Where some bold 

 object in a town or other 

 garden seems essential, to 

 counteract the influence of 

 large buildings, this terrace 

 placed in the center of a 

 walk or elsewhere serves a 

 good purpose. The center 

 may support a vase, or piece 

 of statuary placed on a base or a fountain. Properly the 

 ground should be rounded up a little towards the object 

 in the center. A bed of brilliant flowers extending around 

 the terrace next to the coping, save a narrow strip of 

 grass between, produces a fine effect. The remainder 

 of the surface should be in grass. 



There are ways of treating boundary lines and fences 

 often met with in Europe, which might at times be adopt- 

 ed in improving our own grounds. I refer to the plan of 

 contriving to keep the boundary and other fences out of 

 sight, as shown in figures 22 and 23. By such means. 



Fig. 21. — CIRCULAR TERRACE IN A 



WALK RETAINED BY A STONE 



COPING. 



