JAN.] FLOWER-GARDEN. 57 



duced in some of the more internal parts, and distributed either 

 into plain or complex departments, or beds of earth for flowers, so 

 as to answer the purpose of a flower-garden, for the most curious 

 sorts ; it will have an agreeable effect in forming a contrast with 

 the more rural scenes. 



In the more interior parts, large tracts of ground were frequent- 

 ly divided by straight grass-walks, into many square and angular 

 divisions of wilderness, each division surrounded by regular hedges 

 of various kinds of trees and shrubs, kept in uniform order by 

 annual clippings ; having the interior part of each quarter planted 

 with trees and shrubs, which were in a manner concealed by the 

 hedges from persons in the adjacent walks, so that hardly any thing 

 but close hedges, the same thing over again, appeared to view, on 

 each side of the walks ; and all the walks generally led into uniform 

 openings of grass, particularly to a grand circle or octagon, forming 

 some central part. 



Frequently there were partitions of regular hedge-work, particu- 

 larly of ever-greens, surrounding large squares of grass-ground, 

 designed as pieces of garden ornaments, the hedge-work being 

 often formed into various uniform devices ; such as pilasters, ar- 

 cades or arches, porticoes, galleries, amphitheatres, pavilions, cabi- 

 nets, bowers, pediments, niches, and cornices ; likewise regular ar- 

 bors, having the sides formed into arcades, and sometimes the top 

 vaulted ; and with various other formal imitations, all performed in 

 hedge-work, which were often so arranged and trained, as to effect an 

 air of grandeur and art. High hedges were also in great repute, as 

 boundaries to grand walks and avenues, sometimes carried up from 

 fifteen or twenty, to thirty or forty feet high ; sometimes trained 

 perfectly close from the very bottom to top, others open below a 

 considerable way, and formed into regular arches, Sec. all of which 

 sometimes appeared magnificent and ornamental, but were trouble- 

 some and expensive to keep in order, on account of their great 

 height : however, all sorts of hedge-work was generally esteemed 

 so ornamental in ancient gardening, that almost every division was 

 surrounded with regular hedges of one sort or other, presenting 

 themselves to view in every part, shutting out all other objects from 

 sight ; but in modern designs, such hedges are rarely admitted j 

 every compartment of the plantation being left open to view, from 

 the walks and lawns, in order to afford a full prospect of the various 

 trees, shrubs, and flowers, which consequently are more beautiful 

 than continued ranges of close hedges ; but for the sake of variety, 

 a little ornamental hedge-work might still be introduced in some 

 particular parts of the ground. 



Labyrinths or mazes of hedge-work, in the manner of a wilder- 

 ness, also prevailed in many large gardens. 



A Labyrinth, is a maze or sort of intricate wildernessrplanta- 

 tion, abounding with hedges and walks, formed into many windings 

 and turnings, leading to one common centre, extremely difficult to 

 find out ; designed in large pleasure-grounds by way of amuse- 

 ment. 



