224 LANDSCAPE GAKDENING 



to do so, introducing features of a sort which are 

 entirely out of place, and transporting some "bit 

 of nature" to a spot where it would never have oc- 

 curred had nature herself been allowed to dictate. 



The point that is missed by those who argue 

 strongly against so-called " rules and regulations" 

 in the designing of landscape, and indeed in all 

 branches of the arts, is, that man's handiwork is 

 of necessity unnatural-looking. For this very 

 reason, if the planting about and in close connec- 

 tion with the house be absolutely naturalistic and 

 unrestrained, the house will appear more unnatu- 

 ral and out of place than ever because of the in- 

 sistence of the surroundings upon contrasting 

 features. If the planting about the house and 

 this applies to gardens, because they are generally 

 found in close proximity to the house is planned 

 carefully to show that natural objects have been 

 used by man to express his ideas and to harmonize 

 his house with the countryside, of which it is a 

 part, by combining nature with design, the result 

 is much more worth while than a tangle of natu- 

 ralistic planting, however good that may be of it- 

 self and in its own place. 



Up to the seventeenth century landscape gar- 

 dening was essentially garden design. Garden de- 



