PREFACE ix 



of tener than I should like. Whenever possible, a different phrase 

 has been used. But an author is morally bound to distinguish 

 between fact and opinion. "One of the greatest curses of modern 

 literature," says a prominent professor of history, "is that authors 

 do not discriminate between what they know and what they 

 think" Gardening is not an exact science, and the building 

 of a new style of gardening is necessarily experimental, so that 

 questions of taste, opinion, and ideals continually recur. More- 

 over, in all scientific work an investigator is morally bound to 

 tell where and how he got his facts and opinions. Therefore 

 this book is peppered with names of places visited, not from any 

 paltry desire to seem well travelled (for those who come after 

 me will find that I saw very little of England) but because it is 

 the only way of "making types" and indicating standards. For 

 example, the botanist writes "type" on the herbarium specimen 

 from which he describes a new species. The garden writer ought 

 to do likewise. It is not enough to say "the noblest idea con- 

 nected with water gardening is the naturalizing of water-lilies." 

 He ought to add, "as I saw it at Gravetye." In other words, 

 I would rather be thought immodest than dishonest. 



As to the shortcomings of this work, no one can be more 

 painfully conscious than I. Doubtless there are errors of fact 

 and opinion. And there is plenty more to learn from England. 

 Some keen American students ought to go to England to study and 

 report on the autumn and winter beauties, the hedges, the annuals, 

 the fruits, vegetables, garden accessories, societies, and many 

 other features not treated in this work. I have never been to 

 the Pacific coast, and though born in the South I have travelled 

 little there. 



Moreover, no one man can create a national style in archi- 



