A GARDEN NOTE-BOOK 



gardens (and on first sight) as with people. They 

 are simpatica or not. Let me give two impres- 

 sions of American gardens, which in my case 

 happened either to commend or not to commend 

 themselves to this individual eye, an eye not suf- 

 ficiently intelligent to be over-critical. 



The two gardens in mind now are the antipodes 

 of each other — one a formal garden with much 

 costly stone and marble — flowers grown to per- 

 fection, all kept in order — but a garden which 

 leaves one cold. There is no heart in it, no indi- 

 viduality. It is a mockery in gardening — its bor- 

 ders have in it only the pride of the eye. "See, 

 this is mine. I too have a garden; is it not bet- 

 ter than yours or my neighbor's .f* It is more 

 costly." When gardening takes this form beauty 

 is gone. 



The garden set over against this in my mind is 

 on a steep and wooded hillside, upon one of the 

 loveliest of American lakes; indeed, one of the 

 loveliest lakes in any land. In the centre of this 

 garden is a glorious pine-tree, tall, spreading, sym- 

 metrical. This has been taken as the pivotal fea- 

 ture, and a charming grouping of flower-spaces, 

 with little box-edged walks, arranged to radiate 

 from it. Also, there is a long arbor at the higher 



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