GENERAL PRINCIPLES 15 



buildings uncovered with creeper or shrub ; it is nothing 

 of the kind, and gardens in which there is the richest 

 ornament, and the most lavish display of flowers, may 

 yet remain perfectly simple as regards their planning 

 and arrangement. At the same time monotony is of all 

 things to be guarded against, more especially as it is 

 inseparable from certain forms of design. The most 

 beautiful scene on earth would soon pall were it con- 

 tinued with wearisome repetition over a considerable 

 portion of the landscape. A grass walk bordered with 

 stately yews is a charming feature where the situation 

 demands it, but who can deny the weariness occasioned 

 by endless rows of these solemn sentinels, when repro- 

 duced on every side. Herein lies the reason why the 

 work of certain designers proves so unsatisfactory. It 

 is possible to have too much even of a good thing, and 

 the fact that a certain feature has proved suitable in one 

 case, is no reason for supposing that it will be equally 

 satisfactory in half a dozen others. When making a 

 plan, it should be our object not to consider how much 

 we may do without incurring the risk of monotony, but 

 how we may best whet the appetite for more of a similar 

 character. 



It is to variety that we owe the greatest pleasures in 

 our gardens, and yet there are many who would deny us 

 even this. It is variety which makes the study of Nature 

 the pleasure that it is. Who ever saw two woodland 

 glades exactly the same, two mountain streams which 

 presented identical features, or a glimpse of lush meadows 

 and rich, purpling hills which was not different to any 

 we ever saw before ? Why not the same in our gardens ? 

 No two situations are exactly the same, one must possess 

 features that the other lacks, or present possibilities 

 incapable of fulfilment except in its own case. There is, 

 indeed, no reason why we should conform to a stereo- 

 typed plan, except that imitation is usually considered 



