DISPOSITION OF FLOWERS IN PARKS 



is thereby distracted from the fountain or architectural feature or what- 

 ever is the real point of interest beyond. 



RELATION TO THE PARK PLAN 



A flower-bed may in itself be the main point of interest, and, as a 

 matter of fact, could well replace many a frightful statue occupying 

 the position of honour in a park. In such case the flower-bed may be 

 round, as in that position it becomes a dominating element, and the 

 other lines of the park will in a sense conform to it. Unless the flower- 

 bed be the feature or focal point of interest, it is a disturbing element 

 of the design when admitted to an axial position. This may be stated 

 as a rule. To prove that it is a good rule, we need but mention that 

 there is an exception to it : a flower-bed may adorn the axis line, if the 

 axis line be what is known as imphed rather than expressed, if the view 

 be a very extended one, and if the flower display be kept in the very 

 near foreground. This is a set of conditions, however, not for the 

 amateur to dabble with, for the lines of the flower-bed itself must ex- 

 press some recognition of its dispensated placing. The Johanna Park 

 in Leipsic handles this particular placing of flower-beds so well as to 

 appear almost indifferent to it; and spreads out intricate floral pat- 

 terns, close under the feet of the observer, in the foreground of almost 

 every view. The pattern lines, however, are always well studied to 

 carry the attention through and beyond, and there is never the slightest 

 competition between floral display and offscape. The view from the 

 central terrace of the Royal Castle in Charlottenburg on the other 

 hand illustrates an instance where a round flower-bed emphatically 

 interrupts the line of sight to the view beyond. 



Flower-beds of all kinds are best kept associated with the more 

 formal parts of park design. They are particularly suitable for the 

 smaller parks of a town or city, especially those near the centre which 

 have been classified as display parks. There is no type of flower-bed 



286 



