English Gardens 



A DOUBLE-BORDERED PATH 



and about the house, and yet valued the freer and more natural 

 possibilities which were unaffected by the immediate proximity 

 of architecture. He deprecated the imitation of nature and 

 made a strong plea for retaining " art," b}' which he meant any- 

 thing of a formal or studied nature. Simplicity, convenience, 

 seclusion were among his chief aims, and it is characteristic of 

 the Englishman, that, in enumerating the things which require 

 consideration when planning the grounds, he named economy 

 first. By this he would include not merelv making the plan 

 on such a scale that the owner could afford to lav it out, but 

 he would consider also the cost of maintenance, and still fur- 

 ther, the arrangement of the place so that the maintenance 

 could be done with economy. This is a matter of great im- 

 portance, and to its just consideration is due to a large extent 

 the number and beauty of the English gardens. As a rule 



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