MODERN GARDENS 283 



providing seclusion for people, and protection, besides a 

 background, for flowers; clearly defined divisions and 

 subdivisions and ornamental features to accent various 

 centres of interest. Differences of level in the differ- 

 ent sections are added, when possible, to avoid further 

 danger of stiffness or monotony. 



Next the house, when its site is on a slope, a terrace The terrace 



walk. 



is considered desirable. Sometimes it may be treated 

 merely as a walk. In this case the surface is planted 

 entirely with grass, or with alternate strips of grass and 

 gravel as at Battle Abbey ; or with a pavement of tiles, 

 of brick, or of stone flags as at Annesley. Clipped trees 

 or borders of herbaceous plants are often added as 

 ornaments. 



Sometimes the terrace is large enough to contain a The ten-ace 



with a 



parterre of flowers, as at Shrubland Park, Harewood parterre, 

 or Wollaton Hall. The parterre must then receive 

 a treatment corresponding in style to that of the adja- 

 cent house. The scale of the beds and their ornamen- 

 tation must harmonize to a certain extent with that of 

 the building, and both it and the parterre should be on 

 the same axis. 



A terrace is occasionally abutted by a bank of grass, Terrace 



axchitcc- 



but preferably by a stone retaining wall. Where there ture. 

 is but a slight drop not more than three feet from 

 the level of the terrace to that of the ground below, the 

 top of the retaining wall need not rise above the surface 



