INFORMAL WATER GARDENS 



SO far, only those gardens have been considered 

 which are formal in character. Let us see what 

 the future garden designer can learn as regards the 

 informal treatment of water. In these brief chapters it 

 is not possible to include the various ways of obtaining a 

 supply of water or conveying it to the water-basin, pool, 

 or lake. It is from the ornamental point of view that 

 water is here considered ; and this branch alone is 

 important enough to fill many pages. 



In dealing with a lake which is seen either from the 

 house or from a general position in the grounds, perhaps 

 the indentation and the varying heights of the line of bank 

 are what matter most. These two points affect the stillness 

 and the colour, and therefore, as we have already seen in 

 formal water gardens, the number of objects clearly 

 reflected depends largely upon the shape and height 

 of the banks. Long or short promontories, the features 

 placed upon them, the colour of the trees chosen, and 

 the angle at which they are planted, whether overhanging 

 or far inland these are all questions to be decided. 



Therefore, the contour has to be considered in all its 



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