THE GARDEN ENCLOSURE . 43 



parterres, intricate and bewildering to the eye, 

 should be avoided, as they present a miniature, 

 toylike appearance that belittles the house. The 

 planting of such parterres is characterless, too, and 

 is only for colour in carpet effects which should 

 be very large to be at all imposing as decorations. 

 An exception to such parterres might be made 

 when the miniature garden is between the house 

 and a broad river or other large body of water 

 beyond which the opposite shore is visible, where 

 an extensive panorama lies spread out. The eye 

 then engages an unlimited prospect and is so in- 

 fluenced by the broadness of the surroundings 

 that it does not notice the insignificant appear- 

 ance of the garden that otherwise would seem 

 small and mean. Such a garden then becomes an 

 incident not a feature. Even then the beds should 

 not be made too small and complicated, or they 

 will be hard to plant effectively. 



If the house is situated in an empty lot or field, 

 that is to say one that is quite bare of trees or 

 shrubs, make the garden enclosure of the mate- 

 rial that you think would conform best to the 

 design and colour of the house and which at the 



