64 WALL AND WATER GARDENS 



clear across the grassy level. The whole picture was 

 perfect in its unity and peace, in its harmony of line 

 and fine masses of form — full of dignity, repose, and 

 abounding satisfaction. 



Now the noble lawn-levels have been broken by a 

 dotting about of specimen Conifers. One Abies nord- 

 mannia, one Thuya, one Wellingtonia, one Araucaria, 

 one Taxodium, and so on, and so on. What once 

 was a sanctuary of ordered peace is now a wearisome 

 and irritating exposition of monotonous common- 

 place. The spiritual and poetical influences of the 

 garden are gone. The great Cedars are still there, 

 but from no moderately distant point can they now 

 be seen because of the impertinent interposition of 

 intruding " specimens." 



Like many another thing done in gardens, how 

 much better it would have been not to have done 

 it ; to have left the place unspoilt and untormented 

 by these disastrous interlopers. If only it had just 

 been let alone ! 



The illustration shows a noble house in South 

 Middle England. The picture is complete. The 

 great building is reflected in the still water, and the 

 natural water margin, without any artificial planting, 

 is wisely left alone. It is all so solemn, so dignified, 

 that any added fussiness of small detail, however 

 beautiful in itself, would be a kind of desecration. 

 There are plenty of other opportunities for garden- 

 ing about this fine place, already wisely treated, and 

 though it is tempting to plant any edge of pool or 



