14 



The Wild Garden 



li!^*;v... 



where a wide carpet of grass spreads out in the 

 sheltered bay of a plantation, there be dotted the 

 blue Apennine Anemone, any Snowdrops,, the Snow- 

 flakg. Crocuse s in variety, Scillas^ljrrape Hyacinths, 

 many Narcissi, the Wood Ane- 

 mone, "'an^ any other Spring 

 flowers liking the soil, we 

 should have a picture of vernal 

 beauty, the flowers relieved by 

 grass, and the whole devoid of ^^(fg 

 man's weakness for tracing wall- 

 paper patterns where everything 

 should be varied and changeful. 

 In such a garden it might be 

 clear that the artist had caught 

 the true meaning of Nature in 

 her grouping, without sacrificing 

 anything of value in the garden. 

 Mowing the grass once a fort- ^° »ssonaao>i ot e.oac and bm^ 



o Q ~ J wild flowera in the Wild Garden. 



• J t * ,J 7 —The BEIi-KLOWERED SCILLA. 



mgnt m pleasure grounds, as natm-iiized with our own wood 



o 7 HYACINTH. 



now practised, is a costly mis- 

 take. We want shaven carpets of grass here and 

 there, but what nonsense it is to shave it as often as 

 foolish men shave their faces! There are indeed 

 places where they boast of mowing forty acres! 

 Who would not rather see the waving grass with 

 countless flowers than a close surface without a 

 blossom? Think of the labour wasted in this ridicu- 

 lous work of cutting the heads off flowers and grass. 



