GARDEN ORNAMENTS 



OLD books and pictures are the only means of 

 obtaining information about garden ornaments 

 previous to Queen Elizabeth's time, and even 

 from them the knowledge obtained is but limited. Owing 

 to being entirely arranged with a view to defence, castle 

 gardens of the Middle Ages were very confined in space. 

 Small level portions of ground within the high fortress- 

 walls were utilized to grow herbs and a few flowers 

 and vegetables. Pictures show enclosures surrounded 

 either by wattle or treillage fences, and apparently the 

 only ornaments were elaborately carved stone fountains 

 or bathing- pools, and in some cases " loggias/' or arcades, 

 in which the inhabitants had meals in summer. There 

 were two styles of flower-decoration. Either the incidents 

 that are depicted take place upon a " flowery-mede " ; or 

 a stone-paved court is represented, in which is a group 

 of small formal raised beds with cement edgings to them. 

 Sometimes a topiary tree in a large ornamental pot either 

 stands upon one of the brick-faced, raised banks over- 

 grown with herbs which were used as seats, or is planted 

 in the centre of a formal group of beds. 



'85 



