FLOWER-GARDENS AND PLEASURE-GROUNDS. 



2n 



ing kind may be produced if the work be de- 

 signed and undertaken with skill and judgment. 

 Where the character of the ground is favourable, 

 nature may be so closely imitated as to leave 

 little to be desired. Deviations in the course 

 of the stream may be made so as to represent 

 natural windings and irregularities of breadth, 

 while elevations and depressions in the height 

 of the banks may be worked out, the earth that 



is excavated in the one case being turned to 

 good account in the other. In the planting 

 that is done at intervals on the banks, the sight 

 of the water can, if desirable, be shut out in 

 places so as to give the whole a still more natural 

 appearance, and there may be other details that 

 the situation may specially favour, such as 

 masses of artificially arranged rock-work abut- 

 ting on and overhanging the water, to be planted 



Fig. 34-J.— A Corner in a Water-garden. 



with shrubs and trees, or rock plants of a suit- 

 able kind; or it may be left in great part bare 

 of vegetation as taste may dictate. In some 

 elevated spot a temple-like retreat or a pagoda 

 in Chinese style may be constructed, or a simple 

 seat placed. A boat-house of an ornamental 

 character might occupy one of the deeper bays; 

 and in front of this a Venetian or Chinese har- 

 bour, with stout ornamental posts driven into 

 the bottom of the lake for securing boats to 

 in the summer months, might find place. This 

 part of a lake could be rendered very picturesque 

 by the employment of Chinese or Japanese porce- 

 lain seats, bronze or stone lanterns and fencing. 

 In places where an extended river-like character 

 cannot be arranged the more simple lake-like 

 form may be adopted; but here everything cal- 

 culated to produce an artificial pond-like appear- 



ance must be carefully avoided, not only as seen 

 from a distance, but upon near inspection. 



Where a lake is of many acres in extent, 

 small islands are admissible if so placed as to 

 form objects of themselves to be viewed at a 

 distance, so that they do not interrupt more desir- 

 able distant views. Such islands may be planted 

 with Willows, Rhododendrons and other shrubs 

 of low growth; Bamboos and the deciduous 

 Cypress are also suitable for such positions. No 

 island should be entirely planted, but grassy 

 spaces and glades should be left. And as no 

 lake seems to be quite furnished without bird 

 life, these islands, from their quietness, form 

 excellent 'breeding-places for water-fowl. 



The size of a lake, its distance from the man- 

 sion, or from various points of view in the 

 grounds or garden, and its relative position as 



