32 Landscape Gardening 



A garden may also be overloaded with a variety of things, 

 which, though ornamental in themselves, and not at all out of 

 keeping with the house or the principal elements of the land- 

 scape, may yet impart to it an affected or ostentatious charac- 

 ter. An undue introduction of sculptured or other figures, 

 vases, seats and arbors, baskets for plants, and such like 

 objects would come within the limits of this description. 

 And there is nothing of which people in general are so intol- 

 erant in others as the attempt to crowd within a confined 

 space the appropriate adornments of the most ample gardens. 

 It is invariably taken as evidence of a desire to appear to 

 be and to possess that which the reality of the case will not 

 warrant, and is visited with the reprobation and contempt 

 commonly awarded to ill-grounded assumption. An unpre- 

 suming garden, like a modest individual, may have great 

 defects without challenging criticism, and will even be liked 

 and praised because of its very unobtrusiveness. But where a 

 great deal is aimed at, and there is much pretension, whether 

 in persons or things, scrutiny seems invited, incongruities 

 are magnified, and actual merits are passed by unnoticed. 



Artificial mounds, though they may be very useful for 

 some objects, and conducive to effect in certain positions, 

 will be exceedingly unsatisfactory if made too high, too 

 conspicuous, or too decidedly indicative of the employment 

 of art in their formation. If the ground of the neighbor- 

 ing country be very flat they will appear all the more out 

 of place and require adapting with the nicest elaboration. 

 Everything in the shape of a large hillock or long Hne of 

 bank that has no particular meaning and is badly connected 

 with the general surface can never present a pleasing charac- 

 ter. Some evidence of a sufficient intention or purpose and 

 a manifest correspondence with the rest of the scene will be 

 absolutely demanded in all such elevations. 



