40 THE BOOK OF TOPIARY 



cause alone ; and the older the tree the more damaging 

 is the effect. Whatever the kind of shelter provided, it 

 should be planted, or erected, in such a way as not to 

 obscure the general view of the garden. 



Espaliers, with fruit-trees trained on them, were 

 formerly used to a great extent in Topiary gardens ; 

 but they are a kind of shelter little to be recommended, 

 as, though certainly not unsightly, and having the advan- 

 tage of being useful, they are somewhat out of place and 

 scarcely in keeping with other features of the garden. 



Hardy flowering shrubs may always be planted. 

 They make a very good shelter, and are at the same 

 time ornamental, while they have the additional advan- 

 tage of being useful for cutting purposes. 



But in close proximity to the garden, there is nothing 

 which affords more effectual shelter or is more in 

 harmony with its general character than hedges of yew 

 or horn-beam of about ten to twelve feet in height. 

 This, as a rule, is quite high enough to answer the 

 purpose of shelter ; if allowed to grow higher, the 

 strength and substance of a hedge is almost certain to 

 be sacrificed. This, of course, applies in a greater 

 degree to yew than to horn-beam. 



Large timber trees, such as oak, lime, beech or 

 sycamore, cannot very well be planted within the 

 garden, though they may easily be so in the grounds, 

 or even outside them. They should not be planted 

 singly, but either in large clumps or thick enough to 

 form a wood which, in course of time, may afford 

 shelter to the whole garden. 



The next thing requiring the attention of the Topiary 

 gardener, and one which must be considered in a special 

 degree, is the general formation of the garden. This 

 is a matter of vital importance, and, in common with all 

 branches of garden architecture, needs great forethought 

 and technical skill. In commencing a Dutch or Topiary 



