viii Preface 



The words ^Home landscape ' in the title lead to the 

 idea that all of the work suggested in the book may be 

 done with benefit to the general effect of the landscape. 

 Two chapters front the ^English Flower Garden ' are 

 added with the view of making clear the essentials of 

 garden design and planting, as if we endure a life- 

 less garden within view of the windows we are not 

 likely to get to the fairest of all gardens, the IVoodland 

 garden. The hard and ugly lines so often seen about 

 country houses, and which often come from modern 

 ways of fencing and stereotyped plans, have no good 

 reason to be. The artistic eye soon finds them out, and 

 the artist will get out of their way. The only true test 

 of all such things is the artistic one — Do they make for 

 ugliness or for beauty ? Breaking into the woods in 

 the way I plead for here gives us many chances of 

 improving the home landscape and opening out views 

 — often airy stretches — into new country, even the rides 

 through a foreground of young woods becoming a fine 

 feature. For the rest, every idea that the book suggests 

 I have proved the good of myself 



W.R. 



Gravetye Manor, 

 Primrose time, 1907. 



