144 The Art of Landscape Gardening 



ought to be protected from hares and smaller animals 

 by an inner fence : within this enclosure rare plants of 

 every description should be encouraged and a provision 

 made of soil and aspect for every different class. Beds 

 of bog-earth should be prepared for the American plants : 

 the aquatic plants, some of which are peculiarly beau- 

 tiful, should grow on the surface or near the edges of 

 water. The numerous class of rock-plants should have 

 beds of rugged stone provided for their reception, with- 

 out the affectation of such stones being the natural pro- 

 duction of the soil; but, above all, there should be poles 

 or hoops for those kinds of creeping plants which spon- 

 taneously form themselves into graceful festoons, when 

 encouraged and supported by art. Yet, with all these 

 circumstances, the flower-garden, except where it is 

 annexed to the house, should not be visible from the 

 roads or general walks about the place. It may there- 

 fore be of a character totally different from the rest of 

 the scenery, and its decorations should be as much 

 those of art as of nature. 



The flower-garden at Nuneham,^^ without being 

 formal, is highly enriched, but not too much crowded 

 with seats, temples, statues, vases, or other ornaments, 

 which, being works of art, beautifully harmonize with 

 that profusion of flowers and curious plants which 

 distinguish the flower-garden from natural landscape, 

 although the walks are not in straight lines. 



But at Valley Field, where the flower-garden is in 

 front of a long wall, the attempt to make the scene 

 natural would be affected ; and, therefore, as two great 

 sources of interest in a place are variety and contrast, 

 the only means by which these can be introduced are in 

 this flower-garden, which, as a separate object, becomes 

 a sort of episode to the general and magnificent scenery. 



