62 THE BOOK OF GARDEN FURNITURE 



made with strong laths secured to stout posts and a top 

 rail, the whole being painted, unless in oak, and used for 

 training climbers. 



Walls of stone or brick are generally without much 

 character or distinction, but this is the fault of the archi- 

 tect, for they are capable of being made of considerable 

 beauty and utility. A combination of stone and wood is 

 often good as a garden boundary, the lower part being 

 made of stone with high buttresses, the spaces between 

 the latter being occupied by a wood balustrading. Such 

 a wall would look well along a terrace walk, which was 

 not of sufficient importance to demand a stone terracing. 



As the fence is the boundary to the garden proper, so 

 is the edging to the beds and borders, and though this is 

 a very humble class of garden furniture, it may not be 

 passed over. It sometimes happens that live edging, 

 either of turf or box, is not desirable, and some artificial 

 form is required, which will prove at any rate inoffensive. 

 In districts where it can be obtained, nothing looks better 

 than undressed stone, laid along the edge of the path. 

 There is no particular necessity for making the pieces 

 " toe the line ; " they will look all the better if unevenly 

 placed and allowed to become moss-grown. In large, 

 formally arranged gardens, dressed stone is necessary as 

 an edging to beds and grass, and though conspicuous at 

 first, and somewhat suggestive of the curb round a grave, 

 this effect soon wears off as the stone becomes weathered. 

 Where stone is unobtainable, a simply designed edging 

 in terra-cotta had best be employed ; the design should 

 be absolutely free from any form of decoration whatever. 

 The scallops, twisted ropes, and foliated patterns are a 

 desecration of good taste, and are only seen in the worst 

 style of gardens. 



