32 C|)e eSartcn's Storj. 



the space poorly cultivated and insufficiently 

 maintained, It is essentially a garden maxim, 

 that whatever is worth doing at all is worth 

 doing well. So that, first of all, the grounds 

 should be no larger than can be properly looked 

 after. Grass-grown walks, untrimmed edgings, 

 a lawn run to weeds, at once proclaim the un- 

 tidy gardener, and detract from the best efforts 

 of the flowers themselves. I do not speak of 

 the stiff, formal garden, divided into methodical 

 squares, where everything must be equally bal- 

 anced ; or of " bedding-out," " carpet," or " rib- 

 bon ' gardening. I speak of the hardy flower- 

 garden, where, in its effect as a whole, a sense 

 of tidiness combined with natural grace of out- 

 line and harmony of grouping should prevail. 

 If the space be too large to be perfectly main- 

 tained, diminish it ; but let whatever space there 

 may be under cultivation suffer no neglect or 

 show no parsimony of care. 



No arbitrary rules will suffice to produce a 

 perfect garden, for, in the very nature of things, 

 no two gardens can be just alike. Each one 

 should seek his own expression in the combina- 

 tion he strives for. For this there exists infinite 

 variety of material, adaptable to the particular 

 soil, exposure, and character of the space one 

 would adorn and idealize. A charming feature 



