LANDSCAPE GARDENING 



In size and shape the gardens maintain a definite 

 proportion and are well adapted to the size and shape 

 of the buildings, even more than to the general con- 

 formation of the ground. The designer depends upon 

 his ability to mould surfaces not to do violence to the 

 general aspects of the country and carry out his work 

 in harmony with the architectural structures. The 

 extreme difficulty of doing this marks more than any- 

 thing else the few really successful works of the kind. 

 The disregard of such harmonious combination, and 

 the consequent exaggeration of the artificiality of the 

 composition is the surest sign of the decadence of the 

 art. 



The house is usually set on an eminence command- 

 ing a good view of the country as well as the gardens. 

 Around the house, an esplanade, or first terrace, is, more 

 or less laboriously, architecturally treated, and is con- 

 nected by stairways with a lower terrace or parterre 

 designed as a flower-garden. In this way, a connecting 



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2087. Modern formal treatment of immediate surroundings of house on a 

 large estate in America. 



link between house and garden is secured, and the 

 part of the grounds nearest the residence is arranged 

 so that the eye can embrace at a glance the whole of the 

 design and enjoy its beauty and the fascination of its 

 color. Very often a third still lower terrace is less 

 elaborately treated as if the intention of the designer 

 were gradually to prepare the visitor for the end of the 

 formal and the beginning of the picturesque surround- 

 ings of nature. 



The ground plan being geometrical and symmetrical, 

 the arrangement of vegetation is necessarily geometrical 

 and symmetrical. Stately avenues constitute the 

 approaches. The terraces are rectangular: special 

 motives rectangular, circular, or elliptical. The flower- 

 beds generally conform with the arrangement of the 

 footpaths; often, as in the "parterres," they are 

 designed in patterns of elaborate nature made with 

 dwarf edging plants and filled with great varieties of 

 flowering herbaceous plants. All vegetation is either 

 of such nature that size and character 

 remain uniform throughout the year, 

 or it is made so by the use of the 

 shears, or by periodical transplanting. 

 Water is usually made to play an 

 important part in the composition. 

 Pools, fountains, and cascades are 

 ordinarily used as main features of 

 design; often as secondary motives. 

 Large surfaces of water add by their 

 reflections to the charm of the gen- 

 eral composition. Fountains and cas- 

 cades contribute their lofty jets, and 

 the pleasing sound of moving water 

 to the animation of the garden. 



Seclusion is essential in all formal 

 composition. By inclosing a garden 

 within walls, hedges, or heavy plant- 

 ing, a frame or setting is created 

 which gives relief to the design, 

 clearly defines the area of the picture 

 and compels the eye to abstract the 

 inclosed part from the remainder of 

 the environment. Finally seclusion 

 gives privacy, making the formal gar- 

 den what primarily and essentially it 

 should be: a drawing-room in the 

 open air. 



If we now consider the art of 

 formal gardening from the botanical 

 point of view, we are compelled for 

 the first time to make geographic and 

 climatic distinctions. 



Although the formal gardens of 

 Italy, of France, of England, and of 

 America are substantially the same 

 so far as principles of design are con- 

 cerned, they vary considerably in the 

 nature of the plants used. Possibly, 

 it is due to this fact that in the popular 

 mind a technical distinction is made 

 between Italian and French or Eng- 

 lish formal gardens, while in reality 

 there is none. So one speaks of 

 Italian or French, or English style of 

 gardening, while the style is indepen- 

 dent of the country where it is used. 

 There are formal and informal gar- 

 dens in all countries and these only 

 should properly be called styles. 



A botanical analysis of the formal 

 gardens is here out of place. More- 

 over, it would require considerable 

 time and space. We may, however, 

 sketch summarily the character of 

 the botanical materials used, keeping 

 in mind that species and varieties 



