CHAPTER II 



GENERAL PRINCIPLES 



BEFORE bringing his attention to bear on special cases, 

 the garden designer must have clearly in view the general 

 principles which are the underlying features of all good 

 work. In this way more real progress will be made, 

 and far deeper insight obtained into the mysteries of 

 garden planning and arrangement, than by the most 

 devoted study of complicated plans, or the careful 

 examination of the methods of any particular school, no 

 matter how excellent its teaching. It is useless attempt- 

 ing to compass the most simple form of design if all the 

 while we are ignorant of those elementary laws which 

 are mainly the outcome of common-sense and good taste. 

 The greatest danger to which the novice is subjected, 

 that of being hopelessly confused by a multiplicity of 

 styles, of which by the way we hear far too much, is 

 considerably lessened if he will but bear in mind the few 

 laws which tend to show that gardening is not a mere 

 haphazard science, but one founded on a very sure and 

 substantial base. It is the neglect of these simple ob- 

 servances that has caused men like Capability Brown to 

 be ridiculed, when they might have received nothing but 

 praise. No matter what style of garden arrangement is 

 contemplated, or whether we are going to China or 

 Holland for inspiration, our work is bound to prove un- 

 satisfactory unless beneath the outer veneer which pro- 

 claims its origin there is observable a respect for Nature's 



