FORMAL OR GEOMETRIC GARDENING. 



Formal gardening is a sort of compromise between natural 

 gardening and architecture. As I am not an architect I scarcely 

 feel competent to discuss the subject. Edward Kemp, a cele- 

 brated English gardener, speaks of it in this manner, "Doubt- 

 less the geometrical style is that which an architect would most 

 naturally prefer; for it subordinates everything to the house, 

 and is a carrying out of the principles common to both itself 

 and architecture. A series of straight lines, joining one another 

 at right angles, and of beds in which some form of a circle or a 

 parallelogram is always apparent, or which fit into any regular 

 figure, are, as just before remarked, the leading and most expres- 

 sive features of this style. Flights of steps, balustraded walls, 

 terrace banks, symmetry and correspondence of parts, circles, 

 ovals, oblong and angular beds, exotic forms of vegetation, raised 

 platforms and sunken panels are some of the materials with which 

 it deals." 



The formal style of gardening is adapted to the grounds of 

 public buildings, especially those of classic design, and to small 

 places where there is not room to produce any general landscape 

 effect, such as homes in cities and towns. In all cases the archi- 

 tectural idea is dominant and the vegetation is more or less sub- 

 servient. 



Where the dwelling or public building is large a terrace is often 

 made which may entirely surround it ; at least it should do so at 

 the front and sides. This may be of considerable width; it can 

 join the level of the grounds by a sharp slope of turf or by a para- 

 pet or wall, and in elaborate designs this is usually surmounted 

 by a balustrade. This parapet and balustrade should be made 

 of stone or concrete, as wood is too cheap-looking for such a place 

 and it decays too soon. The terrace may be wide enough so 

 that beds of low growing ornamental plants can be put out in it, 

 or the whole may be closely cropped lawn. 



Usually the approach to the main building is broad and 

 straight; the grounds are laid out in squares, parallelograms, 



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