GARDEN DESIGN IN THE NETHERLANDS 



171 



imitated on a much smaller scale. The reasons are not far to seek, for 

 in Holland, which at this date was thickly populated, the land was mostly 

 in small lots and in the hands of the middle classes, and though there 

 were many among the wealthy Amsterdam merchants who could have 

 afforded to lay out large estates, their democratic spirit prevented them doing 





^ 



THE CASTLE OF BAERLANDT. 



so 



Le Notre is sometimes reputed to have designed the gardens at Het 

 Loo, but we are unable to find any evidence that he worked there or any- 

 where else in Holland. 



Another reason why the style of Le Notre was not considerably followed 

 lies in the fact that the French gardens relied largely for their effect upon the 

 treatment of bosquets and woods. In most parts of Holland the growth of 



