420 LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 



vation of flowers, or (if the house is not in a very plain 

 style, admitting of little enrichment) it may be an archi- 

 tectural flower-garden. In the latter case, intermingled 

 with the flowers, are to be seen vases, fountains, and some- 

 times even statues ; the effect of the fine colors and deep 

 foliage of the former, heightened by contrast with the 

 sculptured forms of the latter. 



If our readers will now step back a few rods with us and 

 take a second view of our villa residence, with its 

 supposed harmonizing accessories, we think they can hardly 

 fail to be impressed at once with the great improvement 

 of the whole. The eye now, instead of witnessing the 

 sudden termination of the architecture at the base of the 

 house, where the lawn commences as suddenly, will be at 

 once struck with the increased variety and richness 

 imparted to the whole scene, by the addition of the archi- 

 tectural and garden decorations. The mind is led 

 gradually down from the house, with its projecting porch 

 or piazzas, to the surrounding terrace crowned with its 

 beautiful vases, and from thence to the architectural 

 flower-garden, interspersed with similar ornaments. The 

 various play of light afforded by these sculptured forms on 

 the terrace ; the projections and recesses of the parapet, 

 with here and there some climbing plants luxuriantly 

 enwreathing it, throwing out the mural objects in stronger 

 relief, and connecting them pleasantly with the verdure of 

 the turf beneath ; the still further rambling off' of vases, 

 etc., into the brilliant flower-garden, which, through these 

 ornaments, maintains an avowed connexion with the 

 architecture of the house; all this, we think it cannot be 

 denied, forms a rich setting to the architecture, and unites 



