the Lawn^ Shrubbery, and Flower- Garden. 549 



thyme ; the central walk, including the segments which touch on the water, 

 may be planted with variegated thyme ; and the intermediate walk, which 

 consists of four semicircles joined together, may be planted with lemon 

 thyme, which would contrast well with the hoary grey of the mother of thyme, 

 the deep green of the green thyme, and the white variegation of the variegated 

 thyme. 



As a further contrast, the small beds, forming, as it were, horns to the 

 octagon basin in the centre, are proposed to be planted with dwarf box, to be 

 shorn quite short in every month of June, so as to present a compact, dark, 

 evergreen surface. The beds for flowers should be planted or sown with 

 dwarf sorts having brilliant colours, so as to contrast strongly with the green 

 of the paths. The outside margin between the paths and the walk b, and 

 also the broad flat border c, we propose to be planted with dwarf box ; and 

 among this green box we propose to plant variegated tree box, so disposed 

 as that, when it is grown a few inches higher than the green box, it may be 

 clipped into an arabesque pattern, in which the forms and lines exhibited in 

 the main figure shall be prevalent ; while, at the same time, these lines shall 

 be so combined with straight lines as to harmonise with the boundary lines of 

 the walk b, the narrow border at the base of the parapet, and the parallelo- 

 gram beds at d. Each of the parallelogram beds (d), it will be seen, contains 

 a pedestal for a vase, though the engraver has omitted the basement of stone 

 on which they stand, and which is made to connect them with the gravel of 

 the walk. Without this connexion, or something equivalent, they would not 

 be architecturally placed ; for, as we have often stated, architectural or 

 sculptural objects ought never to appear but where they are in some way or 

 other connected with architecture or sculpture. Hence few things are in 

 worse taste than pedestals rising out of turf or dug beds. There may be a 

 fountain in the centre, where the situation admits of one ; but at all events 

 there should be a basin of living water, without which, as Switzer observes, 

 a flower-garden is " drought and misery." a is a walk connecting the scene 

 with the house, the conservatory, the kitchen-garden, or whatever other archi- 

 tectural feature it is to adjoin. No detached shrubs whatever are intro- 

 duced in this design, except a few very low ones, to be trained to the 

 wall at c ; nor any tall herbaceous plants, because the stagnation of the 

 air which these would produce would be highly injurious to the different 

 kinds of thyme, and prevent them from giving out their fragrance when 

 walked on. It may be proper to observe, that the boundary lines of the walk 

 b are to be made curvilineal at the angles, so as to harmonise with the larger 

 beds; and that attention to the principle of harmony must be had in designing 

 the parapet, and in working pedestals into it, and placing vases on them, so as 

 to harmonise the low wall with the pedestals and vases at d d. Main en- 

 trances, or subordinate entrances, may also be made opposite these pedestals. 



Persons who have any predilection for the fragrance of any of the varieties 

 of the thyme recommended for planting the paths in this design, will have no 

 difficulty in reaching the paths containing that variety, and the fragrance, par- 

 ticularly on days in which there is not much sunshine, and in the mornings 

 and evenings, will be found most delightful. When it is inconvenient to plant 

 the whole width of the paths with thyme, edgings will have the eifect to a 

 certain extent, as they are necessarily more or less trod upon ; and those who 

 do not wish to take so much trouble may have the walks of gravel and sow 

 mignonette in the edgings. As to the flower-beds, a very rich eflfect will be 

 produced by planting them with dwarf dahlias of dark colours, and pegging 

 them down. By supposing the walk 6 to be 6 ft. wide, a scale to the whole 

 will be easily obtained, viz. 24 ft. to an inch. 



The design Jig. 119. is supposed to be adapted to a hollow where the soil 

 is peat, and, as appears by the five basins of water, either naturally moist, or 

 within ready access to an abundant supply. None of the plants planted in 

 this design should ever be such as rise above a foot in height, but the prefer- 



