GENERAL PRINCIPLES 15 
buildings uncovered with creeper or shrub; it is nothing 
of the kind, and gardens in which there is the richest 
ornament, and the most lavish display of flowers, may 
yet remain perfectly simple as regards their planning 
and arrangement. At the same time monotony is of all 
things to be guarded against, more especially as it is 
inseparable from certain forms of design. ‘The most 
beautiful scene on earth would soon pall were it con- 
tinued with wearisome repetition over a considerable 
portion of the landscape. A grass walk bordered with 
stately yews is a charming feature where the situation 
demands it, but who can deny the weariness occasioned 
by endless rows of these solemn sentinels, when repro- 
duced on every side. Herein lies the reason why the 
work of certain designers proves so unsatisfactory. It 
is possible to have too much even of a good thing, and 
the fact that a certain feature has proved suitable in one 
case, is no reason for supposing that it will be equally 
satisfactory in half a dozen others. When making a 
plan, it should be our object not to consider how much 
we may do without incurring the risk of monotony, but 
how we may best whet the appetite for more of a similar 
character. 
It is to variety that we owe the greatest pleasures in 
our gardens, and yet there are many who would deny us 
even this. It is variety which makes the study of Nature 
the pleasure that it is. Who ever saw two woodland 
glades exactly the same, two mountain streams which 
presented identical features, or a glimpse of lush meadows 
and rich, purpling hills which was not different to any 
we ever saw before? Why not the same in our gardens? 
No two situations are exactly the same, one must possess 
features that the other lacks, or present possibilities 
incapable of fulfilment except in its own case. There is, 
indeed, no reason why we should conform to a stereo- 
typed plan, except that imitation is usually considered 
