THE THEORY OF GARDEN DESIGN 143 



because it is clipped to give space, and even topiary 

 work in such places is often pleasant enough, since 

 the clipping is necessary, and the elaborate forms 

 which it takes are merely expressions of the cottager's 

 fancy and of his delight in his work. But there is 

 no such reason for clipping a yew on a wide expanse 

 of lawn., and topiary work there is not an expression 

 of the gardener's delight in his work, but a mere task 

 to which he is set by the whim of his employer. There- 

 fore, we think only of the labour that has been wasted 

 on it, and take no pleasure in it. The principles thus 

 applied to the treatment of trees and shrubs should 

 be applied to all matters of garden design. In laying 

 out a garden we should consider not what are the rules 

 of formalism or naturalism, but what is our object 

 in making a garden and each particular part of it, 

 and also whether our object is the best possible. The 

 object of many modern gardeners is purely horti- 

 cultural, and often it is not even to grow beautiful 

 flowers, but merely curious or difficult ones. When 

 that is so, the garden cannot be beautiful, for, if the 

 gardener does not aim at beauty, he may be sure 

 that he will not attain it. But, assuming that the 

 gardener wishes to grow beautiful flowers, we may 

 further assume, if he has any intelligence, that he 

 wishes to display their beauty to the best advantage, 

 and he cannot do this without some grasp of the prin- 

 ciples of garden design. If he thinks that he has only 

 to imitate nature, let him remember that nature pro- 

 duces her own beauty in conditions quite different 



