LESSON 2 
GENERAL PRINCIPLES 
HERE are certain general principles underlying all 
<m art, including landscape gardening. The most 
Z) important of these principles must now be stated 
“Wand should be given careful study by the pupil. 
Unity 
The first principle of all art is unity. This 
means that each work of art, large or small, must have one and only 
one meaning, and that every part shall contribute to this meaning. 
Stated in physical terms, all parts must be organized into one body, 
each part being completely subordinate to the interests of the whole. 
Every part which does not assist in this central effect must be 
expunged, no matter how beautiful or interesting it may be in it- 
self. 
The extreme term in unity is monotony. When only one color, 
only one tone, only one figure is used the result may be monotonous. 
A garden planted with nothing but hollyhocks or a cemetery set 
exclusively with red cedars would probably be monotonous. Even 
so it is better to have monotony than to lose unity; and in particular 
cases monotony is the height of artistic achievement. 
The elimination of diverse colors, and forms therefore tends 
toward unity, or at least toward simplicity, which is also desirable 
in itself. Nearly all landscape gardening shows too many forms, 
too many colors, too many different kinds of plants. The instances 
in which unity is carried too far toward monotony are so rare that 
they are doubly interesting as curiosities. 
Unity is frequently secured through the development of utilities. 
If every part of a work of landscape gardening has a definite and 
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