GARDEN WALKS. 



N continuation of the_ subject of 

 " Yard Decoration," p. 51, we give 

 , _1 a view of a home on the Hudson 

 River, (Fig. loSi) which suggests 

 one special feature of the art; we refer to 

 that of so arranging the planting of trees 

 and shrubs as not to obscure any inter- 

 esting or beautiful views. In this in- 

 stance the beautiful Hudson, with the 

 distant hills form a picture that no one 

 with half an eye for the beautiful would 

 ever think of hiding, but how often this 

 consideration is entirely forgotten, and 

 spruces and other trees are planted just 

 where they should not be, while some 

 ugly barn or board fence remains in full 

 view. 



The graceful curves in the walks ap- 

 proaching the house in this illustration 

 are also worthy of notice, and imitation. 



The following e.xcellent pointers under 

 this head, are from Edward Kemp's 

 work, " How to Lay Out a Garden " : 



Walks should be made to embrace 

 particular views, and take a variety of 

 levels, to be concealed from each other, 

 and to have a definite object. All the 

 more interesting aspects of the house, 

 the garden, and the country, ought to be 

 seen from them at particular and favor- 

 able points. These points should thus 

 be situated where the ground is highest 

 in a general way, that the view may be 

 the more commanding. 



Undulation in the surface of walks, 

 where it can be suitably obtained, will 

 be very effective in the production of 

 variety. It must be very gentle and 

 gradual, and like the curves of the 

 ground line, the changes should pass 

 softly and sweetly into each other. 



If two walks be seen from each other, 



which are taking parallel directions, 

 one of them will appear to some extent 

 needless, and in the same degree objec- 

 tionable. Masses of shrubs, or banks 

 of earth partially clothed with these, are 

 the most natural and gentle divisions for 

 placing between them. A walk that 

 leads nowhere, or ends in nothing, gives 

 an impression of an unfinished place, 

 and is as unsatisfactory as all other abor- 

 tions. If it be not possible to continue 

 it beyond a certain point, and yet be of 

 consequence that it proceed so far as 

 that point, a summer house or arbor or 

 seat to obtain a good view will be a suffi- 

 cient terminating object. Otherwise the 

 walk can be carried round a small circu- 

 lar or- other loop, filled with shrubs till 

 it returns again to the same spot. 



No walk must ever turn aside front its 

 course except for some sufficient object. 

 A great change of level, a tree, plant, or 

 group of plants, and a variety of such 

 things, will justify a curve in a walk ; 

 and when it is straight something must 

 be distinctly placed to stop it, where it 

 turns off in a lateral direction It should 

 appear as if it could not go any further 

 in that direction. Repton suggests as 

 an excellent rule, that where two walks 

 branch off from one another at any point, 

 they should take a decided outward turn 

 (see Fig. 1085) so as not to seem as if 

 they would unite again. 



I'ath Makini;. 



125 



