26 ON SOME EARLY GARDEN HISTORY 



ideas which has gone far to destroy European 

 garden-design. 



An old Indian garden-palace built for the hot 

 weather offers a perfect illustration of harmony 

 of house and garden. For a time I stayed in 

 just such a place, situated far away in the country 

 of the Himalayan foot-hills ; a huge walled 

 enclosure, partly fortified. First came the great 

 high gateway which formed the double purpose 

 of entrance hall and quarters for the guard ; 

 beyond extended a large flower garden laid out 

 in parterres beside the stream, at the end of 

 which was the men's dining-room. On its other 

 side this building opened on to the rose garden, 

 on the far side of which towered the high palace 

 of the women's quarters, with its delightful roof 

 bedrooms. Here, built into the side walls, a 

 kitchen pavilion on the one hand balanced rooms 

 for guests on the other ; while forty feet below 

 lay the large fruit garden, the " bostand," with 

 the summer drawing-room delightfully placed in 

 the centre of the largest fountain tank. 



Though the beauty of design and the charm of 

 garden symbolism have been lost sight of in India, 

 botanical gardens and horticultural colleges are 

 always improving well-known shrubs and flowers 



