and "planting a Flower-Garden, 19 



" I HAVE taken the liberty to make an alteration in the di- 

 rection of one of the walks, as shown in the original plan; and, 

 therefo^'e, I do not expect that you will award to me any premium. 

 All I have to say for myself is, that I think I have shown a more 

 artist-like disposition of the groups than is to be found in the plan 

 on which you have called on young gardeners to exercise their 

 talents. In Germany, we are not nearly so much attached to round 

 clumps as the English gardeners appear to be ,* and, where we do 

 introduce the English style of directing walks in curved lines, we 

 endeavour as much as possible to avoid straight ones. This is 

 the reason why I have altered the straight-lined walk on the 

 right-hand side of the plan. Some of the groups I propose to be 

 planted with flowering shrubs, and these are accordingly marked 

 with tree-like forms : but the greater number I propose to be 

 planted with perennial herbaceous plants, and with spring bulbs ; 

 the latter to be succeeded by autumn-flowering annuals. 

 ^^ London, May, 1832. A German Gardener," 



Our German correspondent has so entirely altered the walks, 

 as exhibited in the original plan given in Vol. VII., that, as he 

 himself observes, he has put himself altogether out of the pale 

 of competition. We have engraved his plan entirely for the sake 

 of pointing out some faults in it; because it is a maxim of ours, 

 which every day convinces us more and more to be founded on 

 truth, that instruction in matters of taste is more speedily, accu- 

 rately, and effectually, conveyed by pointing out errors in faulty 

 designs, and giving the reason why they are errors, than by 

 merely presenting such as are comparatively faultless. The 

 reason why this is the case may probably be, that the evils re- 

 sulting from error are of a grosser kind, and require less culti- 

 vation and refinement of mind to be understood, than the dif- 

 ferent kinds of beautiful expression. The design before us [fg. 2. 

 in p. 20, 21.) has the fault common to most of those which have 

 preceded it, viz. want of connexion among the groups ; never- 

 theless, this fault is not nearly so great in fig, 2. as it is in the 

 design fig. 2. p. 178, 179. in Vol. XII. ; which, from the groups 

 being equally disposed in every part of the area, exhibits a total 

 want of repose and effect : that is, every part has equal claims 

 on the attention of the spectator; every where there are clumps, 

 with spaces not materially different in extent between them. 

 Whereas, in the design Jig. 2. there are large plain spaces, 

 which contrast with others where the groups are close together ; 

 and on which plain spaces the eye can repose after it has been 

 excited by examining the groups. We give this explanation w h 

 a view of conveying to the young gardener an idea of what is 

 meant by repose and effc'ct, which he will here see produced by 

 contrast. He will also bear in mind, from what has been else- 



c 2 



