

THE HISTORY OF GARDEN-MAKING 



covered stone to repose on, and marble statues that look forlornly 

 at him. In the more open portions of the gardens, before the 

 sculptured front of the villa, you see fountains and flow^er beds ; 

 and in their season a profusion of roses, from which the genial 

 sun of Italy distils a fragrance to be scattered abroad by the no 

 less genial breeze." 



The Renaissance influence began to be active in England during the 

 earlier years of the sixteenth century, and though it was modified 

 to some extent by the traditions already existing here it brought 

 about some marked changes in English garden-making. What was 

 the character of the work done by the earlier gardeners in this 

 country cannot now be very exactly stated, in the absence of detailed 

 records ; but from some of the medieval manuscripts in which 

 illuminations of garden scenes are inserted it would appear that 

 pleasure grounds laid out with a good deal of consideration for 

 effect, and possessing many interesting features, were by no means 

 uncommon. Hedges and shaded walks, fountains and little runnels 

 of water, flower-beds planted in intricate patterns, arbours and seats, 

 trellises covered with flowers, all set out within a space surrounded 

 by a high wall, were the various parts which were welded together 

 by the designers of the medieval garden, and the result of this 

 combination was apparently quite persuasive. 



As a word-picture of a garden of this character the lines written by 

 James I. of Scotland, when he was a captive at Windsor, in the 

 early years of the fifteenth century, are worth quoting : — 



" Now was there made, fast by the Tower's wall, 

 A garden fair, and in corneris set 

 Ane herbere green with wandes long and small, 

 Railit about, and so with treeis set, 

 Was all the place, and hawthorn hedges knet, 

 Thet lyf was non, walking there forbye, 

 That might therein scarce any wight espye — 

 So thick the boughis and the leaves green 

 Beshaded all the alleys that there were — 

 And myddis every herbere might be seene 

 The sharp, green, sweete junipere." 



In this description there is implied a quite complete system of 

 planning and the use of a regular pattern in the laying out of the 

 ground occupied by the garden. Formality was evidently recognised 

 as essential, alleys " beshaded " with closely grown foliage were 

 contrasted with open spaces, and the difl'erent parts of the garden 

 were defined and marked out one from the other by hedges and 

 fences. Clearly there was nothing haphazard in the medieval 

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