On the present Style of Ornamental Garde?iifig. 87 



is certainly that, of all others, which, in the disposition of their 

 garden grounds, all would most desire to gain. And this. 

 Sir, I affirm, is not attained by the style of gardening we have 

 hitherto almost universally adopted in this country. Our 

 climate is so variable and uncertain; so much more of winter 

 than summer weather is allotted to us throughout the year ; 

 so often is the sun obscured by clouds for the greater part of 

 many whole days together ; so much are we visited by wind 

 and rain ; so numerous, in short, are the evils attendant upon 

 our out-of-doors amusements, that, to secure such portions of 

 the day as most conduce to our health and comfort, by the 

 inhaling of fresh air, should be the first object of our care ; 

 and this can be gained in the most efficient way alone, by the 

 disposal and formation of our pleasure-gardens. When I 

 declare myself a zealous admirer of our English style, with 

 reference to small gardens, I must be allowed to make a re- 

 servation in favour of some large ones, where the superior 

 taste of the proprietors of them have forsaken the beaten path, 

 and have created such scenes as Nature's self might envy. 

 Such, I would say, Blenheim * was, and White Knights, and 

 Dropmore, and Red Leaf are. But these are exceptions to 

 the general rule, and, to a certain extent, partake of that style 

 I propose to recommend. They hold forth every inducement 

 to wander among their groves, and lawns, and gaudy flower- 

 beds ; they are captivating at first sight; they ai'e beautiful in 

 fine weather. In summer, in such a summer as we seldom 

 see in England, then it is that they are every thing which in a 

 garden we most admire ; but reverse the season and the scene, 

 what are they ? I will not say in winter only. What are they 

 for the greater part of the year? Do dripping shrubs, do 

 wet grass, and swampy ground, and flower-beds, known only 

 as beds for flowers by their dingy mould, contrasted with the 

 yellow lawn, do all, or any one of these, invite us into the 

 open air ? Do we not rather turn our backs upon them, stir up 



* The taste of the noble proprietor of this princely place, however well 

 it may have been exerted at White Knights, seems either to have fallen 

 rapidly into decline, or never to have been sufficiently elevated to bear 

 application to a garden on an extensive scale. The incalculable mischief 

 done to the pleasure-gardens of that splendid palace will witness this 

 remark. Where the gardens were formerly laid out to accord with the 

 adjoining pile, where once long and broad gravel walks, lined by lofty and 

 regularly planted exotic shrubs and trees, led the eye to the longer ana 

 loftier avenues of the park, are now little meandering paths, little arbours 

 or berceaux, little clumps of all shapes, little shrubs, the greater part of the 

 old, large, and handsome evergreens being cut down ; and this littleness 

 attached to the finest private residence in the world; and " the Despoiler" 

 cited [where ?] as cue of the most scientific and accomplished of our land- 

 scape-gardeners ! 



G 4 



