562 Remarks on laying out 



Art. XIV. Remarks on laying out and managing Flower- Gardens. 

 By Mr. Robert Errington. 



•• 



Sir, 



I feel pleasure in complying with your request as to send- 

 ing you some remarks on flower-gardens, and shall be glad if 

 there should be any thing in the following observations worthy 

 a place in your useful work. I am, however, afraid that I 

 am not competent to do justice to the subject; and thinking 

 it very probable that I may fell into errors in the course of 

 what I am about to write, I can only say, that I shall feel 

 much obliged to any of your readers who will kindly point 

 them out. 



As to situation, distance from the mansion, &c, I can say 

 little ; these matters being, of course, regulated, in a consider- 

 able degree, by the direction of the principal walk, and some 

 other affairs, frequently of a merely local character. I would, 

 however, if possible, place the flower-garden a little on one 

 side of the principal walk, not far from the mansion, and yet 

 have it so contrived as to be almost entirely concealed from 

 both mansion and walk ; for partial concealment (it will be 

 admitted, I think) gives a zest to beauties of this kind. In 

 such a situation, I would have it so managed as to present to 

 the eye from the main walk, externally, a series of boldly 

 irregular masses, having considerable breadth, and united in 

 some degree to the scenery around by a few single trees, 

 bushes, or smaller groups, which require, as you well observe, 

 considerable taste in their disposal, and are frequently carried 

 to an unpleasant extreme. They are, however, indispensable 

 in some situations, according to Price, and other authors of 

 acknowledged repute, as doing away with extreme distinct- 

 ness, and blending the scenery. 



A walk, of somewhat less width than the principal one;, 

 should embrace the parterre ; and this walk, as before ob- 

 served, should be well screened with handsome plantations. 

 The masses on the outside, especially if next the park, I 

 would plant chiefly with timber trees, having a base or under- 

 growth of holly, thorn, laurel, privet, &c, to be eventually 

 insulated, or grouped on grass here and there,: as taste might 

 suggest, and forming a gradual transition to the park scenery. 



The masses on the other side, or margin, of the parterre,. 

 I would have composed, for the most part, of American plants, 

 roses, and choice flowering shrubs; and interspersed, here 

 and there, with ornamental trees of middle height, tree roses, 

 &c. : and here, I think, might find a place such of the 

 herbaceous tribes as are found too high for the beds; such as 



