6 THE VILLA GARDENER. 



the personal cultivation of his garden. He also finds enjoyment, not only in 

 his family, friends, and books, but in his garden, and in the other rural objects 

 which he can call his own, and which he can alter at pleasure, at a trifling 

 expense, and often with his own hands. It is this which gives the charm of 

 creation, and makes a thing essentially one's own. Every one must have 

 felt the infinitely greater pleasure which is enjoyed from the contemplation 

 of what we have planned and executed ourselves, to what can be experienced 

 by seeing the finest works belonging to, and planned by, another. Our own 

 work is endeared to us by the difficulties we have met with and conquered at 

 every step : every step has indeed its history, and recalls a train of interesting 

 recollections connected with it. 



We shall arrange this work in books ; and shall treat in succession of 

 the general principles which should guide an amateur in the choice, laying 

 out, and planting of a country residence ; and of the planting and manage- 

 ment of the villa kitchen-garden, orchard, flower-garden, pleasure-grounds, 

 and shrubbery, and of the villa farm ; concluding the whole with a monthly 

 calendar of the management of villa residences. 



BOOK I. 



ON THE GENERAL PRINCIPLES WHICH SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION 

 PREVIOUSLY TO LAYING OUT AND PLANTING A VILLA RESIDENCE. 



1. Preliminary observations. — Though it does not fall to the lot of every 

 one who inhabits a villa, to build the house, and lay out the grounds himself; 

 yet most people who have a country residence, have the power of either 

 choosing one for themselves, or at least of making such alterations and 

 improvements as may render their abode suitable to their own taste or con- 

 venience. It is, however, to those who may wish to form an entirely new 

 villa residence for themselves that we chiefly address ourselves ; as such a 

 case will bring the greatest number of general principles into action, and 

 as it will be easy for any one who wishes to apply these principles only par- 

 tially, to select those which happen to be suitable to his particular case. 



2. The choice of a situation. — The first and most important consideration 

 for every one who designs to inhabit a country residence is its situation ; and 

 this is as necessary to be attended to by those who intend to inhabit a villa 

 on the very smallest scale, as it is by those who contemplate possessing one on 

 the largest ; for a false step committed in either case, in the choice of a 

 situation, may be so difficult afterwards to retrace, as to be almost impracti- 

 cable; and thus, nearly all the comfort reasonably anticipated from the enjoy- 

 ment of a country residence, may be destroyed. How much the locality, the 

 aspect, and the surrounding circumstances affect the culture of a garden, of 

 even a single perch in extent, can hardly be conceived by those who have 

 not paid considerable attention to the subject. 



3. The healthiness of the situation intended for a dwelling. is obviously the 

 first and most important consideration. Situations differ in regard to health- 



