2676 



PLANTING 



PLANTING 



3020. Topiary walls and a dial. 



Topiary work, as well as architecture, appears in 

 gardens of many different ages. In fact, the whole 

 history of gardens but emphasizes the continued use of 

 formal foliage and architecture as essential elements 

 in their design. As stated by Blomfield, "The word 

 'garden' itself means an enclosed space, a garth or yard 

 surrounded by walls, as opposed to an unenclosed field 

 or woods. The formal garden, with its insistance on 

 strong bounding lines, is, strictly speaking, the only 

 'garden' . . . ; and it is not till the decay of archi- 

 tecture, which began in the middle of the eighteenth 

 century, that any other method of dealing with a 

 garden was entertained." The common use of hedges 

 for the inclosing of gardens doubtless came into use 

 when the more settled conditions made it unnecessary 

 to retain masonry walls for protection. 



In the writings of Pliny the Younger, who was born 

 A. D. 62, is the most complete description of the 

 Roman gardens. In a letter addressed to his friend 

 Appolinaris, he describes the garden attached to his 

 Tuscan villa: "In front of the Portico is a sort of 

 Terrace, embellished with various figures, and bounded 

 by a Box Hedge, from which you descend by an easy 

 slope, adorned with the representation of divers animals 

 in Box, answering alternately to each other; this is 

 surrounded by a walk enclosed with tonsile evergreens, 

 shaped into a variety of forms. Behind it is the Ges- 

 tatio, laid out in the form of a Circus, ornamented in 

 the middle with Box, cut into numberless different 

 figures, together with a plantation of shrubs prevented 

 by the shears from running up too high; the whole is 

 fenced by a wall, covered with Box rising in different 

 ranges to the top . . . ." After describing several 

 summer-houses he proceeds: "In front of these agreeable 

 buildings is a spacious Hippodrome encompassed on 

 every side by Plane Trees covered with Ivy. Beneath 

 each Plane are planted Box Trees, and behind tkese, 

 Bays which blend their shade with that of the Plane 

 Trees. This plantation forms a straight boundary on 

 each side of the Hippodrome. . . . Having passed 

 through these winding allies, you enter a straight 

 walk, which breaks out into a variety of others divided 



off by box hedges. In one place you have a little 

 meadow; in another the Box is cut into a thousand differ- 

 ent forms; sometimes into letters expressing the name of 

 the master; sometimes that of the artificer; whilst here 

 and there little Obelisks rise intermixed alternately 

 with fruit Trees; when on a sudden you are surprised 

 with an imitation of the negligent beauties of rural 

 Nature, in the center of which lies a spot surrounded 

 with a knot of dwarf Plane Trees. Beyond these is a 

 walk . . . where also Trees are cut into a variety 

 of names and shapes. ... At the upper end is an 

 Alcove of white marble shaded with Vines, supported 

 by four small Pillars of Corystian Marble. From this 

 bench the water, gushing through several small pipes, 

 falls into a stone Cistern beneath, from whence it is 

 received into a fine polished Marble Basin, so artfully 

 contrived, that it is always full without ever over- 

 flowing. . . . Corresponding to this is a fountain, 

 which is incessantly emptying and filling; for the 

 Water, which it throws up to a great height, falling 

 back again into it, is, by means of two openings, 

 returned as fast as it is received. Fronting the Alcove 

 stands a Summer House of exquisite Marble, whose 

 doors project into a green enclosure; as from its upper 

 and lower windows the eye is presented with a variety 

 of different Verdures. Next to this is a little private 

 closet .... Here also a fountain rises and instantly 

 disappears; in different quarters are disposed several 

 marble seats, which serve, as well as the Summer 

 House, as so many reliefs when one is wearied by walk- 

 ing. Near each seat is a little fountain ; and throughout 

 the whole Hippodrome, several small Rills run murmur- 

 ing along, wheresoever the hand of Art thought proper 

 to conduct them, watering here and there spots of 

 verdure, and in their progress refreshing the whole." 



The Romans, establishing themselves in England, 

 built gardens in which topiary work was doubtless to 

 be found. Otherwise, in England prior to about the 

 eleventh or twelfth centuries, gardening as an art of 

 design and taste can scarcely be said to have existed. 

 It is recorded, however, that in 1123 Henry the First 

 formed a park at Woodstock, and it is the first of which 

 authentic record has been preserved. It was probably 

 intended chiefly as a game-preserve but contained, 

 however, a labyrinth. And it is recorded as the custom 

 of the times for the nobility to develop pleasure-gardens 

 in the orchards beyond the walls of their castles, the 

 chief embellishments of which consisted in "plants cut 

 into monstrous figures, labyrinths, etc." 



It is in the gardens of England of the early Renais- 

 sance periods and shortly before this time that the 

 most extensive use of topiary work is found, in the 

 greatest variety and elabora- 

 tion of form. Topiary art was 

 practised, however, in all 

 European countries for cen- 

 turies. It has been given 

 particular and peculiar ex- 

 pression in each of several 

 countries. The Dutch devel- 

 oped the art of carving in 

 verdure at an early date and 

 many strange and curious 

 forms in box, along with many 

 rare and flowering plants, 



3021. A bit of topiary craft. 



were introduced into England from Holland. In France 

 and Italy it was not so much a large variety of elaborate 

 and intricate topiary as an extensive use of the simpler 

 forms of clipped foliage as a means of gaining effect 

 in larger, more monumental, and pretentious landscape 

 arrangements than were elsewhere undertaken. The 

 architectural gardens of the Italian Renaissance exem- 

 plify the effective and appropriate use of architecture in 

 the garden. Here trees, naturally formal in habit, are 

 combined with sheared hedges and edgings. These 

 wonderful gardens teach the remarkable effectiveness 



