26 GARDEN DESIGN 



in formal work, in an attempt to follow natural 

 lines a special effort has to be made to secure it. 



The advantages of a landscape garden are these : 

 it is easily developed from undulating ground 

 and is less expensive than a style where levels 

 and terraces are required : it affords a greater 

 variety for the same space : and it may give the 

 effect of extent if such is required. Its character- 

 istic features are those of nature curves abun- 

 dant, straight lines few, and one pait blending 

 easily into another, unless rock scenery is at- 

 tempted, when boldness is the character aimed at. 

 In the arrangement of a park the landscape gar- 

 dener has the fullest play for his powers of creating 

 the picturesque, for he is there free from the 

 necessity of providing anything so sophisticated 

 as dry gravel walks, and can model the ground 

 and group the timber with a free hand. 



The natural style requires curved lines, and the 

 management of a curved path is a frequent stumb- 

 ling block, a " curly " path being too often the 

 result. A path should take the easiest, if not 

 the most direct way, and a reason for deviation 

 from an obvious straight line must be introduced, 

 if not already existing. Only one curve must be 

 visible at a time, or a short cut will quickly be 

 set up. A block of shrubs, or better still, a planted 

 mound make good points to turn a curve, for 

 obstacles, or inequalities in the ground are the 

 natural reasons for not walking straight ahead. 



