ORNAMENTAL PLANTING FOR PARKS, ETC. 121 



view, the atmosphere, and the seasons. The true ideal of park 

 recreation, to persons worn by the harassing turmoil of city life, 

 is the refresliing enjoyment of all that maybe seen and felt amid 

 the placid manifestations of nature embodied in the landscape. 



There is nothing really different in the general theory of land- 

 scape gardening as applied to the ornamentation of parks from 

 that theory as applied to ordinary grounds. The apparent dif- 

 ference lies in the special application to some particular indi- 

 vidual undertaking. 



In actual practice one park must be treated differently from 

 other parks, this difference of treatment being dictated by tlie 

 situation, surroundings, and topography. ^STo general plan can 

 be outlined that would suit the demands of every locality. The 

 general idea and keynote, however, to most successful examples 

 of park construction in this country (and there are no better 

 examples abroad) is the simple and natural effects, or meadow- 

 like stretches of lawn, circumscribed or bounded by ornamental 

 plantations properly distributed and massed. The main repose 

 and highest enjoyment of parks reside chiefly in these spots. 



The sense of quiet repose ministered to by a large lawn surface 

 is not satisfied by picturesque ground, however vigorously it may 

 be planted, and as the need for quiet repose in this workaday 

 world is more constant than the need for vigorous stimulus, a 

 lack of pastoral, meadow-like stretches of lawn in a large public 

 park will always be felt by the habitual visitor to be a serious 

 disadvantage. 



As a general rule each element in the scenery should be simple, 

 natural, and unobtrusive, so that the passing observer is impressed 

 with the manner in which views are successively opened before 

 him, through the' innumerable combinations in which the individ- 

 ually modest elements constantly rearrange themselves — views 

 which often possess every quality of complete and impressive 

 landscape compositions. 



The aim should be to produce the park, rather than the more 

 elaborate pleasure-ground or garden style of scenery, not only for 

 the reasons above indicated, but because a ground of this charac- 

 ter can be consistently and suitably maintained at much less cost ; 

 because, also, it will allow the necessary conveniences for the 

 enjoyment of it by large numbers of persons to be introduced in 

 such, a way as not to be unpleasantly conspicuous or disastrously 



