On the present Style of Ch-namental Gardening. 21 S 



to the climate of an Italian winter, by so much should we do 

 wisely in adopting their style of gardening. It is true, we have 

 not marble in the same abundance ; and, if we had, we have 

 neither ai'tists to execute figures and vases in that material at 

 a moderate price, nor would these, when executed, bear the 

 frost or damp of this country ; and so far the Italian style is 

 not fitted to this climate : but we have stone, and that in abun- 

 dance, and of the most beautiful description, such, too, the 

 Portland, the Bath, and the Ancaster, as will stand all 

 weathers; and*the two latter so easy to cut, and so durable 

 when cut, that the place of marble ornaments may be supplied 

 by them at a very moderate expense. 



A plot of ground, of one acre only, attached to the man- 

 sion, laid out in the Italian manner, with its terrace, steps, 

 balustrades, vases, fountain, and rectangular gravel walks, 

 will add more to the cheerfulness of both the exterior and 

 interior of that mansion, throughout the greater portion of the 

 year, than five times the quantity of land laid out according to 

 our present English style of gardening. What flower-beds, 

 and those formal ones, corresponding in lines parallel to the 

 gravel walks, may be introduced, will be made gaudy and rich 

 for the summer season by annuals, of which, in colour, there 

 are great variety ; and roses, care being taken to put but one 

 kind of plant into each flower-bed, bulbous roots, such as 

 snowdrops, crocuses, tulips, hyacinths, &c., will afford a spring 

 crop of many colours ; china-asters, geraniums, &c,, will 

 decorate the autumn ; and but a few winter months will remain 

 for the architectural ornaments to display fully and solely those 

 powers which, with the conjunction of the flowers, they have, 

 through the spring, summer, and autumn, maintained. A 

 garden of this sort is " an extension of the splendour of the 

 residence into a certain limited portion of the demesne ; it is a 

 sort of chapel of Case to the apartments within doors." If it 

 cannot justly be called a part of the mansion, it is at least a 

 link of connection between that and the other gardens ; and 

 for such other gardens our own English style is as good, per- 

 haps better, than the style of any other nation. In these gar- 

 dens this rule should be observed, that, as they approach the 

 park or forest, the wilder and more in character with that 

 adjacent should they become, till, by an apparently natural 

 and easy step, the one amalgamates with the other. However 

 strong contrasts, and happy and unexpected transitions from 

 one style of gardening to another, may be permitted, and per- 

 haps with good effect, within the garden ground, when the 

 park is approached, no such trick should be allowed. The 

 simple grandeur of our park scenery requires no raree-show 



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