The Natural Style in Landscape Gardening 



natural composition was to copy it in detail from 

 nature. The neglected moraine, the common stone 

 heap and the untutored wayside copse became their 

 patterns to be slavishly reproduced in their "gar- 

 dens." Because broken, dead and blasted trees 

 were found in the native woods these enthusiasts 

 transplanted dead trees to their private parks. 

 These extravagances, however, soon followed Laun- 

 celot Brown's crooked line theory into the limbo 

 of discarded jokes. 



The idea of making literal transcriptions from 

 Nature has had a much greater and more interest- 

 ing development elsewhere. What we know (and 

 very vaguely understand) as the Japanese style 

 of landscape gardening a style which it appears 

 originated in China is founded precisely on this 

 theory. The original idea was to copy certain clas- 

 sic landscapes or landscape arrangements; and as 

 these first oriental landscape gardeners were priests, 

 and as their gardening was primarily for the em- 

 bellishment of the temple grounds, their prime 

 models were certain sacred landscapes, made sa- 

 cred by association with other shrines. 



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