44 GARDEN PLANNING 



path. Rather let it enjoy its liberty. The 

 occasional plant which has more than repaid 

 your care by exceeding its neighbour in vigour 

 of growth deserves encouragement. Let i 

 sprawl in reason. It will soften the edge 

 of your border and redeem the straightness 

 of its line. I would even designedly place 

 certain plants so that they may behave in 

 this manner. 



And, lastly, beware of the too liberal prun- 

 ing of trees and shrubs. Nature is always right. 

 She gives a character to each one of her crea- 

 tions, which is its birthright. To trim all trees 

 to a uniform shape, like the wooden models in 

 a child's Noah's Ark, is to destroy their indi- 

 viduality and charm, and to introduce the 

 very essence of formality into the garden. 



