48 GARDENS IN THE MAKING 



for we shall then accustom ourselves to each addition 

 as it is made, and familiarise our eyes with the way 

 in which the whole composition is being formed. 

 For example, it will often be necessary on a sloping 

 site to correct the awkward lines of certain levels by 

 throwing out " bastions," or by excavating to reduce 

 the height of the ground. The levels above the 

 rose garden at Ashdown Place, Forest Row (fig. 58), 

 presented a formidable problem before they were 

 reduced to terraces ; and even then the general slope 

 of the surroundings rendered the result unsatis- 

 factory until the middle or cross terrace was ex- 

 tended, on one hand into the side of the hill, and on 

 the other to form a raised.platform towards the falling 

 country. This cross terrace, or bowling-green, is 

 long enough to " steady " the whole composition, 

 and affords, moreover, a fine point of vantage from 

 which to command the view. The very wide flights 

 of steps (fig. 35) were specially designed to prevent 

 the imprisoned appearance which would otherwise 

 have been given to the rose garden, and the blocks 

 of cut yew at either end were devised to screen the 

 diagonal fall in the ground, and to give the appear- 

 ance of stability to the steps. A somewhat similar 



