INTRODUCTION 



This book contains articles upon both the theory 

 and the practice of gardening. There is no need to 

 speak of the practical articles in this introduction; 

 but it may be as well to say something about the 

 general principles upon which the theoretical articles 

 are based. Those principles are concerned mainly 

 with the planning of gardens and with the character 

 of the flowers that should be planted in them. The 

 writer is in favour of the formal planning of gardens, 

 and in this introduction he proposes to give some 

 general reasons for his preference. But he cannot 

 deny himself the pleasure of a rock garden, although 

 he knows that a rock garden cannot well be worked 

 into any formal design. In this matter he sins with 

 many excellent gardeners, who are not likely to give 

 up their rock gardens from any artistic scruple. Rock 

 gardens exist, and more of them are made every year. 

 In some respects they have had a good effect upon 

 other kinds of gardening. We must therefore make 

 the best of them. This introduction, then, will deal 

 with rock gardens, and will attempt to show, first, 

 what is the secret of their delight, and, secondly, how 

 they can best be placed and planned so as to spoil 

 the design of a formal garden as little as possible. 



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