1 68 Landscape Gardening 



plants; plants that blend best with architectural objects; 

 groups or beds of plants, in which one kind or class prevails; 

 and hedges, whether to frame and enclose scenes that it is 

 wished to detach, or, in a diminutive state, to make borders 

 and edgings to flower beds and clumps. 



In applying practically the principles of architectural gar- 

 dening it should be remembered that, as extreme irregularity 

 is a merit and a beauty in most kinds of Gothic architecture, 

 the garden accompanying it will also bear to be treated in an 

 equally irregular manner. But in relation to any variety of 

 Grecian or Italian house, the garden, like the architecture, 

 should be more distinguished by symmetry and regularity. 

 Architectural gardening would be out of place in connection 

 with a house inferior in design, or destitute of character and 

 style. It is peculiarly suitable for a tame and smooth general 

 landscape; but is quite admissible, for contrast, in a pic- 

 turesque, bold, and wild region. It especially demands that 

 everything should be good, and nicely finished; that the plants 

 shall be of the best and most carefully selected kinds; the 

 grass evenly laid; the figures, and beds, and edgings of walks 

 neatly and accurately cut ; the gravel fine and well laid and 

 its smoothness not obviously broken by gratings. The edg- 

 ings, too, should all be particularly shallow, the edges of 

 terrace banks quite square and even at the top, and the soil 

 in the beds and clumps very slightly raised above the level of 

 the lawn. The spaces for specimens, flower beds, and masses 

 of shrubs should, moreover, be cut out of the flat lawn and 

 not have the grass curved up to them as in the more natural 

 style of treatment. And all the Hues, whether of walks or 

 other edgings, ought to be extremely straight and regular, 

 thoroughly well beaten and level, and the grass be very fine 

 and smooth. 



In making terrace walls where they do not run along the 



