WILD GARDENS AND ROCK GARDENS 221 



CHAPTER X 



WILD GARDENS 



The wild garden, as the name suggests, is a garden of informal 

 outline, but it is not, as many think, a wilderness, requiring little 

 or no attention. The primary purpose of the garden is flowers, and 

 if success is to be looked for there must be a degree of care and regard 

 bestowed upon it, although when the garden is once established 

 this care may be reduced to a minimum. 



A wild garden consists of a collection of plants, perennials and 

 shrubs, placed so nearly in their original environment that they 

 become established and in great measure take care of themselves. 



Very often an entire property is developed along naturalistic 

 lines, aiming toward the picturesque in landscape design. Such a 

 development may not be classed as a wild garden, as very often the 

 effects secured are the result of almost constant care. 



THE \VILD GARDEN AS AN ISOLATED FEATURE 



The true wild garden should be treated as an isolated feature 

 and will appear best in a depression (Fig. 170) where it is practicable 

 to plant the side slopes with evergreens and flowering shrubs in a 

 naturalistic way. When boulders are at hand it may be made even 

 more picturesque by placing them on the slopes and extending the 

 plantations of wild flowers around them to tie the entire scene 

 together. 



Where space admits the plot given over to the wild garden should 

 be large enough to allow the greatest freedom in the modification 

 of the ground; walks should lead through depressions, the slopes of 

 which may be built up with the earth excavated from them. 



Very often a favorably located spring will supply running water 

 and add a feature of inestimable worth to the wild garden. Many 

 and varied are the native plants that can then be introduced and 

 charming indeed the effects procurable. 



The wild garden should be so designed that the scenes are ever 

 changing; the paths should follow the running water, through 



