TERRACE AND GARDEN WALLS 53 



buttresses. The proportion would be much better 

 with a greater width of grass and a lesser width of 

 flowers. 



The little fountain basin would then make a re- 

 versed figure in one of the arcs, and the planting on 

 each side of it would be symmetrical and rather 

 important. Such a rearrangement of the beds would 

 much improve this terrace ; and would give the wall 

 added dignity and offer more scope for the growing 

 of handsome groups of plants. 



The Yew hedge which forms the parapet of this 

 terrace and stands just at the top of the lowest wall 

 is a capital example of its kind, though the garden 

 would have given a better impression of cohesion 

 if the wall had been treated in the same way as the 

 one above. But the planting at its base seems in 

 these more horticulturally enlightened days to be 

 quite indefensible. The foot of one of the noblest 

 ranges of terrace walls in England is too good to be 

 given over to the most commonplace forms of bed- 

 ding, whereas it presents the best and most becom- 

 ing site for some of the most important plants ; for 

 Magnolia and Bignonia y Yucca, Carpenteria, Choisya, and 

 Romneya. Here it would be better to have a much 

 narrower border against the wall, about half the width 

 of the present one, and to take some advantage of 

 the open joints in the upper courses for the planting 

 of some of the lovely things named in the chapter 

 on the Sunny Rock -wall. 



Perhaps I should offer some apology to the owners 

 of this fine garden for my presumption in making 



