LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 



569 



Ru-tl 



Ait tt\*j. ing laid out in ample walks, open and shady, are al- 

 most peculiar to Britain. The grand object is to pet 

 as extended a line of uninterrupted promenade as is pos- 

 sible -within the given limits. A walk parallel to the 

 boundary fence, and at a short distance within it, evi- 

 dently indicates the maximum of extent; but if the 

 enclosure is small, the rapid succession of angles and 

 turns becomes extremely disagreeable, and continually 

 breaks in upon the pfit dei promeneurt, the conversation 

 of a party, or individual contemplation. The angles, 

 therefore, must be avoided by rounding them off in a 

 larn square ; in a small one, by funning the walk into 

 a circle ; and a small parallelogram, by adopting an 

 oval form. 



Hussel Square, laid out from a design of Mr. Repton 

 in 1810, is one of the most complete in these resj>ects 

 in London. It has been objected to as over-planted ; 

 but this is only a piece of vulgar injustice, applied in- 

 diacriminately to every rural artist, all of whom, as a 

 matter of course, conclude, that when magnitude ef- 

 fects the purposes of number, the superfluous plants 

 will of course be rooted out. 



i These remarks on public n-alkt and squares are also in 

 great measure applicable to promenades en chnal, re- 

 gard being had to the difference in point of extent. 

 Such promenades are scarcely known in Britain ; but 

 re sources of considerable splendour and entertain- 

 ment on the continent. The Moscow promenade of 

 the first of May, held in a natural birch forest, which 

 funued the burial place of the Germans in Peter the 

 Great's time ; a similar one at Bielanv, near Warsaw, 

 held in a fir wood on the Banks of the Vistula ; and 

 the numerous promenades of the Prater (chap. i. sect. 

 5.) are eminent examples. Britain has at prc-mt only 

 the inferior and ill arranged resource of Hyde Park ; 

 but the Regent's Park, begun in I MO. chiefly from the 

 design of the late surveyor of woods, Mr. Fordyce, will 

 enable IM to cope with, if not to surpass our continent.-)! 

 neighbour*. In this design sorre regard has been had 

 t<> t ' -i vies ; for though the leading roads are in geo- 

 metric line*, part of the trees are in group*, and a piece 

 of artificial water is of an irregular shape. According 

 to our idea, however, the original inteiit'on of Mr. For- 

 dyce, and the beauty and u>* of the wl'ole to the pub- 

 lic, will be much injured by certain {additions to the 

 plantations, of surrounding streets and interspersed vil- 

 las, which can only be made from motives of profit, un- 

 worthy, one would suppose, of t park roynl. Tin- n - 

 cent walks, formed on the Calton Hill at Edinburgh, 

 under the direction of Mr. Jardine and Mr. Strvcn-on, 

 and rrruin proposed equestrian promenades in other 

 directions, will add to the elegance of that city, alrcadv 

 so richly endowed with local beauties. 



CHAP. VI 



Or TH PBACTICB OP THE ART or LAYING OUT 

 GROUNDS. 



THE question has been agitated by some respectable 

 authorities, whether ever)- proprietor ought not to be- 

 * come his own landscape gan 1. 1 ( -r ; to which Mr. Repton 

 replies, " that had the art -till continued under the di- 

 rection of workmg-gardeneYs, or nursery-men, the pro- 

 prietor might supersede the necessity of such landscape 

 galtlentis, provided he "had previously made this art 

 hi* study ; but not (as it is frequently asserted) be- 

 voi_ xa. PART u. 



. -h-r 



cause the gentleman who constantly resides at his Art of lay- 

 place, must be a better judge of the means of improv- in B out 

 ing it, than the professor whose visits are only occa- i ^ ou "^- 

 sinnal ; for if this reason for a preference were granted, 

 we Tnight with equal truth assert, that the constant 

 companion of a sick man has an advantage over his 

 physician. 



" Improvements may be suggested by any one ; but 

 the professor only acquires a knowledge of effects be- 

 fore they are produced, and a facility in producing 

 them by various methods, expedients, and resources, 

 the result of study, observation, and experience." 



" He knows what can and what Cannot be accom- 

 plished within certain limits. He ought to know what 

 to adopt, and what to reject ; he must endeavour to 

 accommodate his plans to the wishes of the person who 

 consults him, although in some cases they may not 

 strictly accord with his own tasto." Observations on 

 Landscape Gardening," p. 10. 



A more wise plan than that of doubting on the subject; 

 would be to have the separate opinions of different land- 

 scape gardeners and architects, for no opinion need be 

 followed if disapproved of; while the probability is t 

 that there would be something valuable in each, and 

 the proprietor might finally, aided by the artist he pre- 

 ferred, decide for himself, never, however, forgetting 

 the idea of a consistent and beautiful whole. As to the 

 cxpence, Girardin observes on this subject, " N'allez 

 pas le regardcr . . . il vous en coutera bien d'avantage 

 pour des variations, et des retouches continuelles." 



The intimate connection between landscape gardening 

 and architecture, and the propriety and advantage of the 

 joint consultations of the landscape gardener and the ar- 

 chitect, as to the situation, aspect, and style of the house, 

 together with the almost unavoidable encroachments of 

 tin- former on the latter, by designing and executing 

 ^.irdcn buildings, has given rise to an opinion, that the 

 landscape gardener ought to combine the functions of 

 the architect. Mr. Repton justifies the idea, by referring 

 to the many excellent houses built by Brown, with no 

 other knowledge than that acquired by observation of 

 all the best houses ; and of Kent, who was at once land- 

 scape gardener, architect, and historical painter. We 

 are of opinion, that in the case of garden buildings and 

 small villas, or ornamented cottages, the knowledge 

 both of the theory and practice of architecture, which 

 it is necessary every landscape gardener should possess, 

 will enable him to combine the duties of both profes- 

 sions ; but such are the advantages of a division of la- 

 bour in the fine as well as in the useful arts, that in 

 all more extensive buildings, and indeed even in those 

 we have mentioned, we would recommend the employ- 

 ment of a regular architect, jointly with a landscape 

 gardener, as a surgeon consults with a physician in im- 

 portant cases. 



The duties of the landscape gardener resolve them- 

 selves into the formation of a plan or design, and the 

 carrying of it into execution. 



SECT. I. Of the Study of the given Situation, and Cir* 

 cumilances, aiidformatton of a Plan of Improvement. 



On whatever occasion the opinion of a landscape study of si- 

 gardener is desired, he should be furnished with a tuatkms. 

 written or verbal instruction as to the points to which 

 In- -huuld chiefly direct his attention, with a complete 

 map of the estate, an accurate detailed history and de- 

 scription of its localities and peculiarities. From these 

 *c 



