126 JOTTINGS OF A GENTLEMAN GARDENER 



again and came straight up to the house. The rock- 

 garden was intersected by paths cut exactly straight, and 

 at right angles. Flower gardens, pleasure grounds, rock- 

 garden and wild garden were completely spoilt. There 

 were no winding paths going this way and that, but a 

 severity and grimness which I have never forgotten. 



But there are other ways of spoiling a garden by its 

 paths. Brick paths, for instance, look extremely bad 

 between gay flower borders. Bright red gravel paths look 

 too ornate in the rock-garden, and asphalt paths look 

 fearful in the wild garden. Bright red gravel is suitable 

 enough for the carriage drive. Straight " grim " asphalt, 

 concrete, or tar paths for the vegetable garden ; and brick 

 paths will do if properly laid in the ornamental garden. 



Avoid making too many paths in a small garde.:. This 

 is difficult to impress on people's minds. Except in the 

 rock-garden, the paths should be few. There should be 

 some definite object in them. To have small paths mean- 

 dering all over the place, cutting up the garden into small 

 pieces, is a great mistake, it means that much ground has 

 been wasted. In the rock-garden alone paths should be 

 numerous, in order that the plants may be viewed at close 

 quarters. 



Before deciding upon a path carefully consider the 

 questions : " Is it absolutely necessary ? " and " Can I do 

 without it ? " For example, consider a path to separate 

 the lawn from a flower border. " Is this absolutely neces- 

 sary ? " " Can I do without it ? " Well, I don't know. 

 The grass is wet in the winter. But then the border does 

 not contain plants which bloom in the winter. When I 

 dig the border I can leave my barrow at one end or put 

 boards on to the grass to wheel it on. Therefore the path 

 is not necessary. So do not cut it. 



Finally, avoid making a path too narrow. A width of 

 2 ft. is not enough. You and your " better half " cannot 

 walk arm-in-arm on such a path, and it is quite important 

 to be able to do this in a garden! Your girls soil their 

 dresses against the taller plants in the beds, and you 



