Planting and laying out Grounds. 559 



Art. III. On planting and laying out Grounds. By M. Her- 

 mann Knoop Klynton, Landscape-Gardener, Ghent. 



To lay out a garden, or build a house, seems to many 

 people only to require money, and the wish to do so. This 

 is not the case. During my late travels I became acquainted 

 with a young physician, a great botanist ; he proposed calling 

 on one of his friends, a very rich man, who lived in the town 

 where our horses were to stop. This friend was engaged in 

 erecting a large house, and laying out immense gardens. 1 was 

 struck at first sight with great sins committed against the 

 rules of solidity, and I could not prevent myself from asking 

 the proprietor if his architect was present. " Yes, Sir," he 

 replied ; "it is myself." I was then silent ; and afterwards 

 surveyed the large piece of ground intended for the garden, 

 which I found much varied in itself, being intermixed with 

 beautiful masses of lofty trees, woody and rocky hills, fine 

 large natural meadows, and a stream of clear water. They 

 were surrounding these beauties with high walls. I saw with 

 regret many of the trees destined to be cut down. The 

 doctor asked his friend what he was going to make. " An 

 English garden." " Show us your plan, then." " My plan !" 

 he replied ; " it is in my head. " We took leave of this rich 

 proprietor, and continued our journey. " What do you think 

 of that man ?" says the doctor. " That man," says I, " will 

 spend much money in destroying the natural beauties of his 

 place. He will one day repent of losing his time and money 

 on things which offend the principles of art, and which will 

 be censured by all connoisseurs." 



To lay out a pleasure-garden, money and imagination are 

 not sufficient : a knowledge of geometry and drawing is 

 indispensable, either to draw a plan, and to form some idea 

 of the expense, or to transfer from the paper to the ground 

 a plan already arranged. To plant a garden in the pic- 

 turesque style, which with me is synonymous to planting with 

 taste, requires not only a perfect knowledge of trees, shrubs, 

 and ornamental plants, proper for this style of plantation, but 

 also of landscape-painting, so as to know how to dispose the 

 trees according to their form, size, and colour, in such a 

 manner as to harmonise with the place. In departing from 

 known and established principles, instead of a delightful 

 picture, we run the risk of producing an insignificant, uni- 

 form, and cold mixture of verdure. 



I am not afraid of repeating here, that to plant as I mean 

 requires extensive information. 



The nature of the soil ought particularly to be taken into 



