556 



LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 



Of A* M- painting enter into the principles of landscape gar- 

 ten*!* of 



They will also shew, how very little the production 

 of natural beauty is within the power of the landscape 

 gardener. He may display it to more advantage. In 

 the first example of expression, for instance, the build, 

 ing, or such parts of it as move obviously show its real 

 character, might be displayed by the removal of some 

 over obtruding branches ; nnd in the second, a gar- 

 den seat, and some garden trees, as the lime, elder, &c. 

 might add to the idea of consecration to man. In the 

 third, a corn field or a barn in the distance, would aid 

 the effect by contrast ; and in the last, a bridge would 

 determine the situation and reality of the river. But 

 to attempt effecting these expressions by building a 

 ruin, placing a garden seat in a paddock, or erecting a 

 bridge where there was no water, would, however 

 common in the infancy of th^ art, be now justly con- 

 sidered ridiculous. 



But much more might be done in improving the pic- 

 turesque beauty of each of these scenes, provided the 

 trees were already grown to maturity, and too nume- 

 rous rather than too few ; but if these trees are yet to 

 plant, it is evident tliat only the ground plans of the 

 masses and groups of trees, and of the breadth of the 

 lawn, could be formed by the artist. But in doing this, 

 he will still be guided by the principles laid down. To 

 illustrate the application of which, both in forming in- 

 fant and improving mature scenes, is the business of 

 our succeeding chapters. 



CHAP. III. 



OP THE MATERIALS OF GARDENING. 



Materials of WHATEVER style of gardening we adopt, the mate- 

 gardening, jjajg ^.^jj w hich we work in order to obtain the desi- 

 red effect, are the same. Those of nature, are ground, 

 wood, water, and rocks ; to these, art has added build- 

 ings ; roads, walks, fences, and animated or moving 

 objects, sounds, &c. may be considered as accompani- 

 ments. 



SECT. I. Of Ground. 



Ground. The operations of art on this ponderous material, are 

 necessarily of a very limited description. The most 

 extensive and costly operations, to restore or create na- 

 tural surfaces, even when attended with the desired ef- 

 fect, afford less gratification to personal feeling than 

 most other improvements. If a large space, naturally 

 or artificially deformed, has been restored to natural 

 beauty, we are delighted with the effect, whilst we re- 

 collect the difference between the present and the for- 

 mer surface ; but when this is forgotten, though the 

 beauty remains, the credit for having produced it is lost. 

 In this respect, the operations on ground under the 

 ancient style, have a great and striking advantage ; for 

 an absolute perfection is to be attained in the forma- 

 tion of geometrical forms, and the beauty created is so 

 entirely artificial, as never to admit a doubt of its ori- 

 gin. Long, therefore, after the improvement is finish- 

 ed, the credit and the beauty remain to gratify and 

 charm the owner. Improvements on surfaces, what- 

 ever be their object, ought to be made in scenes which 

 are near the eye, or intended to be frequently seen ; at 

 a distance, they are lost if the effect be on a small scale, 

 and often better effected by wood, if on one of consi- 

 derable magnitude. All operations on ground may be 



included under, 1. Those which have for their object 

 the beauty of art or design 4 and 2. Those where natu- 

 ral beauty is intended to be produced. - f 



) . O; eratinns milft a vieiv to relative or artificial beau- Ground. 



ty The forms in use for this purpose are few and sim- 



' i T*U i n -i , i Operation; l 



pla I hey originate in, and are influenced by those w , lh a vie , 



of the house ; and are, for the greater part, bounded to relative 

 by right lines ; and the surfaces are levels or slopes of or artificia 

 different degrees of abruptness. The magnitude as ' 

 well as form of each of the figures in the ground imme- 

 diately adjoining a house, or in a detached walled en- 

 closure, should be regulated chiefly by the magnitude of 

 the mr.nsion, or extent and grandeur of the whole place, 

 though they are often obliged to conform, in some de- 

 gree, to the natural surface. When the ground slopes 

 from the house in all directions, narrow parallelograms 

 will be the prevailing forms both of the levels and 

 slopes, the broadest level, and greatest perpendicular 

 depth of slope, being placed next the house, and the 

 next broadest level, &c. in succession, till, after three or 

 four levels, and as many slopes are obtained, the artificial 

 surface shall finally blend with the natural, unless, as is 

 frequently the case in the geometric style, a kitchen gar- 

 den, or some similar scene of art, is joined to it. In this 

 case, separation by some architectural or other accompa- 

 niment, will, by forming a break in the order of forms, 

 admit of adopting, in continuation of the artificial sur- 

 face, such levels and slopes as the character of the scene 

 may require, or a due regard to economy dictate. When 

 the mansion, or scene of operations, is on a surface na 

 turally flat, the levels will be of greater dimensions, 

 the slopes smaller, and both forms fewer in number. 

 But though parallelograms are the common figures em- 

 ployed, sections of polygons, trapeziums, circles, and 

 curvilinear figures, are frequently admitted. They are 

 used in architectural elevations, and in fortifications, 

 which are the prototypes of this part of ancient gar- 

 dening ; and, therefore, when apparent in the mansion, 

 should be reflected, as it were, by the grounds. 



The forms to be used, however, is a matter easy to 

 determine. The principal difficulty is to arrange them 

 together, so that they may concur in producing a whole 

 or a good effect. In disposing, connecting, relating, 

 and contrasting them for this purpose, the artist will 

 preserve regularity and uniformity in the complex view 

 of the whole, varying and harmonizing the detail ac- 

 cording to the degree of beauty and variety he intends 

 to produce. If he has duly prepared his mind by theo- 

 retical studies, and practised architectural and land- 

 scape drawing, his own feelings will suggest when he 

 has attained the desired effect ; for the models of arti- 

 ficial surfaces, which remain of ancient gardens, are 

 poor productions compared to what might be created 

 in this way, through the judicious application of the 

 principles of relative beauty. See' Terrace in the suc- 

 ceeding chapter. 



2. Natural beauty of ground. As the right lines and Natural 

 geometrical forms of the architect, take the lead in b au 'y < 

 grounds of artificial beauty, so the flowing and broken 

 lines, and undefined forms of the landscape painter, 

 take the lead in those of natural beauty. To create them 

 in ground, is generally impracticable and unadvisable ; 

 but where they exist concealed by accidental deformities, 

 or incomplete in expression, through dullness in their 

 leading features, art may relieve from the impediments 

 to beauty, even though the situation is .>-ome dis- 

 tance from the eye. In recluse scenes immediately un- 

 der view, art may aspire to create beauty even from 



