EARLY HISTORY g 



consequently, where it was not at all necessary to 

 cultivate this particular form of gardening, the desire 

 for contrast and display led to a very widespread 

 adoption of the art of Topiary. 



From the gardens of the wealthy Romans the taste 

 for clipped trees and general formality of design was 

 carried throughout the Empire. Doubtless the monks 

 who carried the arts of gardening throughout the 

 European continent took with them and put into 

 practice a taste for Topiary. In their wall-encircled 

 monastic gardens dense hedges would rise both for 

 the provision of shelter and to afford additional seclu- 

 sion, and in a modest way these would in all probability 

 be embellished by verdant sculptures. 



But it was much later than this that Topiary com- 

 menced to be one of the chief features of garden design, 

 for with the corruption of the ruling powers came the 

 decline of the Roman Empire, and then followed the 

 Dark Ages wherein the clash of arms, coupled with 

 deep superstition, put gardening, as a pleasure, out of 

 the question, so that except in some few cases it was 

 only conducted at all because of the necessity of pro- 

 viding a meagre food supply. For long, long years 

 war-like occupations were, either from choice or 

 necessity, in the ascendant. But there presently came 

 a time when peace again reigned and arts and commerce 

 flourished ; gardening revived, and in Italy where still 

 remained many examples of the grandeur of Ancient 

 Rome, it soon flourished in the establishments of the 

 wealthy princes. 



Although Charlemagne revived the art of gardening 

 in France in the eighth century, he was not the kind 

 of man to care much for garden display ; he rather 

 introduced useful fruits and encouraged the cultivation 

 of herbs and fruits wholly from an economic point of 

 view. So we are compelled by the lack of historical 



