32 LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 



for intellectual study, and not elements of a picture for 

 tlie delight of the more subtle aesthetic faculties. They 

 mioht serve a purpose in a museum. In a garden they 

 have uo place. This is esj)ecially to be insisted on at 

 this jioint, for the novice can easily combine geometrical 

 forms; hut doing so without training and without sym- 

 pathy, his work is at best grotescjne, and quite apt to be 

 silly. This same lack of feeling for dignity of outline 

 results in tameness, weakness, puerility, in place of that 

 quality which we have designated as boldness. We 

 might have called this quality dignity ; but dignity is 

 both simple and bold. Now if simplicity and boldness 

 alone were demanded of geometrical lines, perfection 

 would be within easy reach. One would have only to 

 confine himself to rectangular combinations to achieve 

 both. But some more graceful outlines are desired by 

 the eye, and to their invention the designer may Avell 

 give earnest study. No definition of grace, in this 

 sense, can be put in words, much less any directions by 

 which its realization may be effectually secured. 



The lawn has already been referred to as being in a 

 double sense the ground w^ork of the garden picture. 

 The close shaven lawn is the very life of the architec- 

 tural gardeiT. Often it is all the garden there is to the 

 composition. If a city residence crowds upon a busy 

 street, trees, shrubs and flowers are all impracticable; 

 but the little strip of close cut grass between is clean, 

 cool and comfortable. A court yard may be chiefly con- 

 cerned with a fountain, stone flagging and heavy 

 benches ; but there may be some little patches of clipped 

 grass in between, and these will be like the carpets 

 within the building. The uncut lawn with grass run- 

 ning riot is so evidently out of unity with all architec- 

 tonic features as to need no remark. 



Trees set in row^s may or may not add to the perfec- 

 tion of the Italian style. If trees are to be used in any 



