CHAPTER II 

 FORMAL GARDENS 



Why Americans lavish fabulous sums upon "Italian" gardens, and 

 are usually disappointed with the results A simple , orderly 

 process by which perfection may be attained 



TO MOST Americans "formal garden" and "Italian gar- 

 den' ' are synonymous. But there are many types of formal 

 gardening, and not all of them can be seen in Italy. 

 England possesses perfect examples of every kind, and she has also 

 developed a style of formal gardening which is better adapted 

 to the American climate and social conditions than the prevailing 

 Italian style. The Continental styles of formal gardening are 

 too often severe, quasi-public, cold as marble. The best English 

 formal gardens have dignity enough, but they are eloquent of 

 intimate home feeling and gay with flowers. 



Nothing is easier than to write a graceful, entertaining essay 

 about formal gardening that will be of no real service to anybody. 

 Mere "art talk" and descriptions of famous places give little 

 help. True, no one can crowd all the art and practice of garden 

 design into a single chapter. But in this chapter I hope to explain 

 why Americans lavish fabulous sums upon formal gardens and 

 why they are usually unhappy over the results. Also I shall set 

 forth a simple, orderly process by which, I believe, any one who 

 can afford a formal garden may have a perfect one. 



The reason why many people are willing to "spare no ex- 

 pense"' provided they can get an exquisite formal garden is simply 



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