82 GARDEN PLANNING 



the grass on which it is placed, if it comes suf- 

 ficiently near those outlines for it to matter. 

 A square bed set in an oval grass plot would 

 not harmonize so well with its outline as a 

 circular or oval bed, as I have already pointed 

 out in connection .with groups of beds. So 

 in a square or rectangular plot of limited dimen- 

 sions a square or rectangular bed would best 

 please the eye. 



In designing a group of beds it is not sufficient 

 to throw together several components bearing 

 no relation to each other in shape. On the 

 contrary, there should be a rigid harmony 

 in shape between the components. This is 

 best secured by giving attention to the strips 

 of sward or gravel which separate them, and 

 a good rule is to make these strips of 

 equal width throughout their length, so that 

 the sides of adjacent beds are parallel with 

 each other. 



This is made clear in the next illustration. 

 Practical considerations in connection with 

 mowing make it desirable that this strip of sward 

 should not be too narrow, say not less than 

 eighteen inches. In groups of beds in gravel, 

 the separating strips become possible paths, 



