I20 Landscape Gardening 



already given, however, — and which are intended rather as 

 hints than as models, — the reader will probably find enough 

 of suggestiveness to render a further installment unnecessary. 



Towards the outside of a formal garden, or in parts suffi- 

 ciently separated from the house, or from the \dew obtained 

 at its principal front, there will be little objection to the use 

 of masses of plants with a more irregular outhne, or speci- 

 mens scattered about in the natural style, provided a kind of 

 connection be kept up by the help of circular or other regular 

 beds in the center or at the corners of such compartments. 

 When irregular fines are adopted as a fringe round the 

 boundary, they are rriade as inconspicuous as possible from 

 the house, and do not thrust themselves into notice any- 

 where, or weaken the effect of the more artistic parts. They 

 will not disturb the harmony of the place unless they are 

 obtruded. 



One most important requirement in a formal garden is that 

 the ground should be quite smooth and level. No undula- 

 tions or unevenness of surface can be for a moment allowed. 

 Regular and easy slopes or dead levels are as essential as 

 straight lines in a house or in the walks. A perfectly flat 

 surface is unquestionably the best for the purpose, as the lines 

 will appear longer. When a line slopes away from the point 

 of view it is to some extent foreshortened. 



If the ground should, by any unfortunate chance, rise as it 

 recedes from the house, it may be kept flat to as great a 

 width as possible, and then be formed into one or more 

 terrace banks (fig. 30), as it may require; the walks to be 

 carried up these banks by flights of steps, and the change of 

 level effected by grassy slopes or by low architectural walls. 



When, in addition to a slope from the house downwards, 

 or apart from it, the ground also slants naturally in a cross 

 direction, this will demand some modification. As far at 



