ARRANGEMENT AND FORMATION. 



33 



It is essential that groups of planting should be, and should appear 

 to be, rightly placed in the general composition. If there be old single 

 trees, or groups of trees, on the turf, they should be treated as specimens, 

 and isolated each on its own mound, and not have little bushes put 

 about them. There is an expression of affording shelter, whether from 

 heat or rain, about such objects, and in that way they bestow a pleasing 

 idea, while they contribute their beauty to the scene. In planting, 

 variety of outline in the height is almost as desirable as variety of out- 

 line in the plan. A frequent error in laying out gardens is to make all 

 the groups of planting assimilate, and all walks and undulations alike in 

 appearance and outline. That is to be avoided. The proper method 

 is to make the prominent points high, and to keep the intervening bays 

 low, both in forming the ground, and in selecting the plants. In setting 

 out groups of planting, uniformity of curve, and parts of circles should 

 be avoided. Long bays with the turf running up them should be made ; 

 the spectator's vision is unconsciously led up them if only for the moment. 

 As seen from the house, or its terrace, a plantation, which for example 

 (see Plan, fig. A} may be one skirting the garden, screening it from 

 observation on the approach, or protecting it from harmful winds, may 

 be made very effective by marking the outline of the turf with long 

 bays running up beyond the points, so that the eye cannot follow the 

 whole outline. An appearance of much greater extent and freedom is 

 attained. Variety in such designs is essential, and bald uniformity of 

 parts is to be shunned. There is a killing lameness in such repetition 

 of parts in the outline as is involved in the recurrent use of circles or 

 parts of circles, or of egg-shaped figures such as are frequently to be 

 seen by lines of walk in Continental gardens. These dicta apply equally 

 to the height of trees, the character of the foliage and the tints, and 

 especially to the undulations of the made ground, where uniformity 

 and repetition destroy one of the most exquisite expressions of Nature's 

 beauty the wave line of the ground by rendering it unnatural in form, 



