THE TECHNICS OF GARDENING. 181 



of evergreens, that all ages have felt. And I would 

 even introduce bizarreries on the principle of not 

 leaving all that is wild and odd to Nature outside 

 of the garden-paling ; and in the formal part of the 

 garden my yews should take the shape of pyramids 

 or peacocks or cocked hats or ramping lions in 

 Lincoln-green, or any other conceit I had a mind to, 

 which vegetable sculpture can take. 



As to the other desirable qualities animation, 

 variety, mystery I would base my garden upon the 

 model of the old masters, without adopting any 

 special style. The place should be a home of fancy, 

 full of intention, full of pains (without showing any) ; 

 half common-sense, half romance; " neither praise nor 

 poetry, but something better than either," as Burke 

 said of Sheridan's speech ; it should have an ethereal 

 touch, yet be not inappropriate for the joyous racket 

 and country cordiality of an English home. It 

 should be 



" A miniature of loveliness, all grace 

 Summ'd up and closed in little " 



something that would challenge the admiration and 

 suit the moods of various minds ; be brimful of 

 colour-gladness, yet be not all pyramids of sweets, 

 but offer some solids for the solid man ; combining 

 old processes and new, old idealisms and new real- 

 isms ; the monumental style of the old here, the 

 happy-go-lucky shamblings of the modern there; the 

 page of Bacon or Temple here, the page of Repton 

 or Marnock there. At every turn the imagination 

 should get a fresh stimulus to surprise ; we should 



