FLOWER GARDEN. 235 



termination to a short walk, a desirable matter in most 

 cases ; for it has often been remarked that many parts of 

 extensive grounds remain unvisited because they afford no 

 remarkable object to attract attention. 



The particular form of a flower garden is equally be- 

 yond the inculcation of specific rules. Indeed, it may be 

 of any shape, and, except where the dimensions are ex- 

 tremely limited, the boundaries should not be continuously 

 visible. The taste of the proprietor or designer, and the 

 capabilities of the situation, must determine not only the 

 external configuration, but also the arrangement of the in- 

 terior parts. By judicious management, it may be made 

 to pass through shrubbery, gradually assuming a more 

 woodland character, and groups of trees, into the park on 

 the one hand, and into the kitchen garden or orchard on 

 the other. In most cases, even where it is in the vicinity 

 of the mansion house, the flower garden should be encir- 

 cled with some sort of fence, in order to convey the idea 

 of protection, as well as to furnish security to the vegetable 

 inmates of the parterres, it being impossible to carry on 

 floriculture to any great extent in open places which are 

 accessible to hares and rabbits, or any other kind of in- 

 truders. In detached localities, the fences may be made 

 sufiiciently strong to preclude the intrusion of every species 

 of vagrant ; and these fences it is not difficult to mask with 

 shrubs and trees. A north wall of moderate extent and 

 moderate elevation is often desirable, as affording space for 

 ornamental climbers and half-acclimatized exotics, and as 

 forming a point d 1 appui for the conservatory and other 

 botanical structures. Such a wall may be surmounted 

 with urns and other architectural ornaments, and screened 

 at some little distance behind by trees. The other fences 

 may be of wire- work, generally called invisible , or of 

 wooden rails, or of holly hedges with rails. 



