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CHAPTER VI. 



THE TECHNICS OF GARDENING.* 



" Nothing is more the Child of Art than a Garden." 



SIR WALTER SCOTT. 



" FOR every Garden," says Sir William Temple, " four 

 things are to be provided Flowers, Fruit, Shade, 

 and Water, and whoever lays out a garden without 

 these, must not pretend it in any perfection. Nature 

 should not be forced ; great sums may be thrown 

 away without Effect or Honour, if there want sense in 

 proportion to this." Briefly, the old master's charge 

 is this : " Have common-sense ; follow Nature." 



Following upon these lines, the gardener's first 

 duty in laying out the grounds to a house is, to study 

 the site, and not only that part of it upon which the 

 house immediately stands, but the whole site, its 

 aspect, character, soil, contour, sectional lines, trees, 

 &c. Common-sense, Economy, Nature, Art, alike 

 dictate this. There is an individual character to 

 every plot of land, as to every human face in a 

 crowd ; and that man is not wise who, to suit 



* These notes make no pretence either at originality or complete- 

 ness. They represent gleanings from various sources, combined with 

 personal observations on garden-craft from the architect's point of 

 view. J. D. S. 



