GERMAN AND AUSTRIAN GARDENS 



245 



designs of Furttenbach. The parterre is divided by a number of walks, 

 and at each intersection is a little arbour. At one end of the garden is a 

 large banqueting house overlooking the fountain pool. 



In the Castle of Hessen (illus., p. 242) a bridge across the moat leads from 

 the castle to the garden, which is divided into squares, some with the family 

 crest worked into the parterre, others with regular geometric patterns, while 

 the tops of the hedges are quaintly cut into lions and crowns with the date — 

 163 1. The Germans were particularly ingenious in their mechanical garden 

 fountains, which were more generally of metal than stone ; they were often 

 arranged in tiers, approached by steps, and surrounded by balustrades. The 

 well was made a very decorative feature and even the garden pump ! In 

 some gardens we find the parterre surrounded by long berceaux, or tunnels, 

 which in other cases divide the parterre 

 into four parts. 



Topiary work was to be found in 

 every garden, hedges and trees being cut 

 in all manner of quaint shapes. In the 

 Count of Sachsen's garden at Schlaum- 

 werth the entrance to the parterre was 

 through the legs of a huge topiary Colos- 

 sus. Every garden had a variety of 

 arbours and summer houses, aviaries and 

 pigeon towers, which were usually placed 

 in the centre or at the angles of the 

 parterre. 



Another garden feature was the 

 mount, a square mound of earth with a gazebo on the top, ascended by 

 paths in easy stages, as at the Castle of Weimar, where a great circular 

 mount known as Parnassus had corkscrew paths protected by low hedges. 



Many castles had their tilt yards. At Schloss Lothen we find one in 

 a very prominent position adjoining the castle and the stables, the space 

 reserved for jousting being surrounded by a low wall. There was another 

 fine example at the Castle of Gothen in Saxony. 



The orchards, fruit and kitchen gardens were usually laid out apart 

 from the pleasaunce, and protected by stout palisades or by moats. 



The gardens of the early eighteenth century are illustrated in a curious 



FOUNTAIN 17™ CENT: 



