GOLDEN AGE OF TOPIARY 



" I confess that I should never care to adorn my garden with topiary 

 or with carpet bedding ; but I hope always to be cautious in making 

 declarations in respect of such matters, that I may not appear to 

 despise another man's pleasures, or vainly desire to set up a standard 

 of my own in opposition to the delightful variety that is ensured by 

 the free exercise of individual taste and fancy." Shirley Hibbtrd. 



"While perhaps not admiring these birds and beasts, we must, I 

 think, in a measure agree with Loudon, that many old-fashioned 

 gardens have suffered in losing the quaint forms of cropped yews, 

 which added a certain charm to them." John Lowe, M.D., in "Yew 

 Trees of Great Britain and Ireland." 



THE dawn of the sixteenth century saw the commence- 

 ment of what may be called the Golden Age of Topiary. 

 It was also the beginning of an age of romance, of 

 stirring deeds, of great discoveries ; an age when men 

 of genius were numerous, when history was being 

 rapidly made, and when the art of gardening began to 

 flourish freely. Though the times were stirring ones 

 and there was not always " peace within our borders," 

 commerce grew and wealth increased, so that gardening 

 became more and more popular and steadily grew more 

 and more elaborate in design. To the existing style 

 were added the extravagances of the French and the 

 formalities of the Dutch schools, but these things did 

 not all come to pass at once. 



It is most probable that the Old and Formal English 

 Gardens as we know or imagine them, were the develop- 

 ment of at least two hundred years, and probably the 

 type had not been reached until the reign of Charles II. , 

 notwithstanding such gardens are frequently alluded to 



