©arbens 243 



Variety, moreover, in landscape gardening and par- 

 ticulariy in the garden may assume the guise of mystery 

 that may under some circumstances, prove magical in 

 effect. One of the supreme feats of landscape garden- 

 ing is to suggest surprise, to tempt question as to what 

 is behind that bush or tree, or round the next turn of the 

 road or path, or over the hill. Wonderful effects of 

 the most charming natural character come to us in this 

 way. A sweep of grass creeps arotmd yonder point of 

 shrubbery and we wonder what is just there in the 

 recess. 



"The willow wren sings, but his voice and that of 

 the wind seem to give emphasis to the holy and medi- 

 tative silence. The mystery of nature and life 

 hover about the columned temple of the forest. The 

 secret is always behind a tree, as of old time it was 

 always behind the pillar of the temple."' 



The character of the appearance of trees and shrubs 

 is so varied at different seasons of the year, in sunshine 

 and shadow, rain and clear weather, that there is 

 hardly any limit to the mysterious and magical results 

 that can be accomplished. Some special tree or shrub 

 may lend itself more than another to this mystery and 

 magic, and the art of the landscape gardener may do 

 much, but in the final result there should appear no 

 sense of effort, no loss of easy natura^ess, and the law 

 of contradiction and contrast should be so applied as to 



' See R. Jefferies, Field and Hedgerow, p. 107. 



