32 



THE VILLA GARDENER. 



46. Where walks have been judiciously laid out, and the grounds on each side 

 of them planted ivith the proper degree of skill, the views from them will 

 continually vary, even in grounds of limited extent, and without any distant 

 prospect. This result, however, is not to be obtained otherwise than by a 

 very carefully-studied plan for disposing of the walks and the trees. It can 

 neither be attained, even in a tolerable degree, by a gardener who knows 

 nothing of the principles of composition, nor by an architect or landscape- 

 gardener who is not well acquainted with the forms, sizes, modes of growth, 

 times of flowering, &c., of trees and shrubs. In proceeding to lay out a small 

 place, with the view of making the most of it in this manner, the first thing is 

 to ascertain what extent of walk may be produced without ever showing any 

 portion of the walk to the pedestrian, except that which is immediately before 

 him. This is evidently more difficiilt to accomplish in a small place, with a 

 level surface, than in one where it is sloping or undulating ; but, by creating 

 artificial undulations, even on a very small scale, much may be accomplished 

 in a very little space ; and the effect of such undulations can always be deter- 

 mined beforehand. Thus in fg. IS., a spectator at a, 63 ft. from a walk at h, 



would see the gravel of that walk, unless the view of it were intercepted by a 

 small flower-bed, or gentle rise in the turf, 18 in. high, such as c ; whereas, 

 by removing the walk to d, the mere distance would conceal it. This is 

 supposing the general surface of the ground to be a perfect level ; but if it were 

 to slope from the house in the degree indicated by the line a e, then the walk 

 would be concealed by a raised bed at /, at little more than half the distance 

 from the eye ; and by extrem.e distance at g. 



47. Jnother means of concealing walks is by chains or continuous groups of 

 low shrubs; but these, when not carefully introduced, are, in very small 

 places, apt to injure the view, by interrupting the continuity of the surface of 

 lawn, and by producing too many parts for so small a picture. These groups 

 of shrubs may, however, be resorted to for purposes of concealment, at a 

 great distance from the eye at the sides of a view, or at its farther extremity. 

 In some cases walks may be concealed, or prevented from obtruding them- 

 selves on the eye, by ibrming the more conspicuous parts of them of blocks 

 of earth-coloured stone, wliich will not have so glaring an effect as bright- 

 coloured gravch Walks laid with blocks of wood, or with grey bricks, have 

 also a subdued tone of colour, and are not offensive to the eye ; but of course 

 they can only be adopted on a small scale, or in particular parts of a design, 

 on account of the expense. 



48. The walks about a j)lace may be increased and varied by occasionally 

 crossing each other, either in grotto-like tunnels under ground, or by disguised 

 bridges above the surface. This is a source not only of great variety in the 



