308 A HISTORY OF GARDENING IN ENGLAND 



straight beds are often the keynote of the arrangement, but the 

 prevailing wish is usually to produce colour effects. To mass 

 plants of one kind or one colour, whether in beds or borders, 

 in woods or glades, or by lakes and streams, to form some 

 pleasing or striking picture, is the usual aim. Vivid contrasts 

 or gorgeous tones melting from one to another, whole gardens 

 devoted to one colour in all its varying shades, or rainbow gra- 

 dations - of tints, such are some of the effects which the modern 

 gardener thinks out. The old " mixed border " is generally 

 felt to be unsatisfying, and a succession of carefully planned 

 groups, to produce a harmonious whole, has taken its place. 



The length of time the garden is beautiful has been prolonged 

 by countless artifices, and a garden chiefly composed of brown 

 earth for some months of the year is now an uncommon sight. 

 The perpetual blooming roses, the improved hardy chrysanthe- 

 mums, together with some of the Japanese maples and lilies, 

 bring a brightness of summer into the purple and gold autumnal 

 season. The early spring is ushered in by giant snowdrops and 

 dainty iris, soon to be followed by glowing effects with Japanese 

 cherries, peaches, and crab-apples. To fill turf with spring 

 flowering bulbs is now the rule, and not the exception, just as 

 rock gardens within the last few years have become general 

 instead of unusual. 



Another feature now common to most gardens is the pergola. 

 This did not come into fashion with the Italian gardens of the 

 middle of last century, as might have been expected, and the 

 pergola of English gardens to-day seems to have more in 

 common with the shade alleys of Elizabethan times than 

 with the vine-clad pergolas of Italy. The improvement of 

 the rambler roses is perhaps chiefly responsible for the adoption 

 of the pergola. 



All through the long years that horticulture has been 

 practised in England the current history of each period has left 

 its mark on the gardens, and the twentieth century promises 

 to be no exception. Since the alliance between Great Britain 

 and Japan, it has become the fashion to plant so-called 

 " Japanese gardens " in this country. This has been rendered 

 more easy by the increased intercourse between the two 

 countries, and particularly since the Japanese have imbibed 



