SIMPLER FLOWER GARDEN PLANS. 295 



more troublesome, and also because dwarf plants cannot grow over 

 them here and there as they can over a rough edging of natural 

 stone, the best of all edgings. 



FLOWER GARDEN OF TUDOR HOUSE. This shows two flower 

 gardens close to a Tudor house, with a garden door from the house 

 into each. One being small (that on the south), it was thought 

 better to devote it all to flowers and the necessary walks, all being 

 done with a view to simplicity of culture and good effect of the 

 plants. In the other garden, there being more space, the lawn is 

 left open in the centre, while all round and convenient to the walk 

 are simple, bold beds easy to deal with, and also spaced in a free 

 and open way for people to get among them or about the lawn. 

 The little south garden being much frequented in all weathers, and 

 the paths among the beds rather small, it was thought best to pave 

 them with old flagstones, and that has proved very satisfactory, because 

 rolling and much weeding are thereby avoided and the walks are 

 pleasant to walk or work on at all seasons. 



South of the house and of these gardens there is an open, airy 

 meadow lawn, the Grass of which is studded with many bulbs that 

 flower in the spring. The vigorous kinds of spring bulbs are grown in 

 great quantities in this field, and only the choicer and rarer early bulbs 

 are put among the Roses and other flowers in the flower garden proper, 

 which is mainly devoted to the finest hardy flowers of summer and to 

 Tea Roses. 



HAWLEY. This garden shows two essential things in the art of 

 garden-design : First, the general idea of this book that it is by well 

 studying the ground itself, rather than bringing in any conven- 

 tional plans, we arrive at the best results. Gardening is so pleasant 

 in many ways that almost any plan may pass for pretty and yet 

 be far from being the most artistic result that could be got among a 

 given set of conditions, or difficulties it may be of ground. If in such 

 a case we adopt such plans as are sent out from offices both in 

 France and England, it is possible that (with considerable cost) we 

 may adapt them to the situation, but assuredly that way cannot give 

 us the most artistic result. 



The second point is, that where the vegetation of a place has 

 distinct characters of its own, these should be made the most of. If 

 this were the case generally we should see much less of the stereo- 

 typed in garden-design. This garden is in the charming Pine district 

 of Hampshire the Pine, beautiful in groups and in distant effects 

 and this was taken advantage of, and the Pine look of the place 

 preserved in all ways, and even heightened where it could be done with 

 good effect. These Pine groups and masses were naturally more of 

 the framework of the garden the woods and trees surrounding it. 



