WILD GARDENS 275 



objects as may be found therein alone can de- 

 termine these details, obviously. 



Stones scattered about may be assembled, not 

 to form a rockery by any means, but to con- 

 form to such a general scheme as a bird basin 

 or a seat or a campfire site may involve. For 

 although the wild garden should be eloquent of 

 solitude and have the virginal quality I have 

 suggested, it is of course understood that this 

 remains to it because of the finished artistry 

 with which such things as seats and shelters and 

 bird basins are developed and introduced and 

 not because they are omitted. It should not 

 lack anything that may enhance its entertain- 

 ing charm; but it must remain wild in aspect 

 notwithstanding. It is the use of materials that 

 are found on the spot that helps largely in this; 

 but unless they are used with such cleverness of 

 imitation that it hides cleverness and allays sus- 

 picion of imitation, they will still fall short of 

 producing the desired result. 



Under most conditions conceivable I would 

 not advise such a thing as a retaining wall of 

 stone to hold up a bank in a wild garden. Yet 

 if this will improve a situation and if it can be 

 built so naturalistically that it will take on the 

 appearance of just a mass of rocks pushed up 

 from below, against which the earth has seeped 



