58 Old Time Gardens 



den," — a fashion I saw a few years ago around 

 flower beds in Charlton, Massachusetts. " Round 

 whitish pebble stones " for edgings were Parkinson's 

 own invention, and proud he was of it, simple as it 

 seems to us. These open knots were then filled 

 in, but " thin and sparingly," with " English Flow- 

 ers " ; or with " Out-Landish Flowers," which were 

 flowers fetched from foreign parts. 



The parterre succeeded the knot, and has been 

 used in gardens till the present day. Parterres were 

 of different combinations, " well-contriv'd and inge- 

 nious." The " parterre of cut-work " was a Box- 

 bordered formal flower garden, of which the garden 

 at Hampton, Maryland (pages 57, 60, and 95), is a 

 striking and perfect example ; also the present gar- 

 den at Mount Vernon (opposite page 12), wherein 

 carefully designed flower beds, edged with Box, are 

 planted with variety of flowers, and separated by 

 paths. Sometimes, of old, fine white sand was care- 

 fully strewn on the earth under the flowers. The 

 "parterre a PAnglaise " had an elaborate design of 

 vari-shaped beds edged with Box, but enclosing grass 

 instead of flowers. In the "parterre de broderie " 

 the Box-edged beds were filled with vari-colored 

 earths and sands. Black earth could be made of 

 iron filings; red earth of pounded tiles. This last- 

 named parterre differed from a knot solely in having 

 the paths among the beds. The Retir d Gardner 

 gives patterns for ten parterres. 



The main walks which formed the basis of the 

 garden design had in ancient days a singular name 

 — forthrights ; these were ever to be " spacious 



