792 



PRACTICE OF GARDENING. 



Part III. 



6086. Water. This material, in some form or other, is as essential to the flower as 

 to the kitchen -garden. Besides the use of the element in common culture, a pond or 

 basin affords an opportunity of growing some of the more showy aquatics, wliile jets, 

 dropping-fountains, and other forms of displaying water, serve to decorate and give in- 

 terest to the scene. Besides choice aquatics, the ponds or basins of flower-gardens may 

 be stocked with the gold-fish (Ct/jyrinus auratus), and will serve as a hybernaculum for 

 that elegant and interesting animal the tree-frog (Rana arborea], so amusing in the gar- 

 dens of the south of Germany. 



6087. The form of a small garden {Jig. 541.) wdll 

 be found most pleasing when some regular figure is 

 adopted, as a circle, oval, octagon, crescent, &c, : but 

 where the extent is so great as not readily to be 

 caught by a single glance of the eye, an irregular shape § 

 is generally more convenient, and it may be thrown into 

 agreeable figures, or component scenes, by the intro- 

 duction of shrubs so as to subdivide the space. 

 " Either a square or an oblong ground-plan," Aber- ^ 

 crombie observes, "is eligible ; and although tKe shape ^ 

 must be often adapted to local circumstances, yet, | 

 when a garden is so circumscribed that the eye at i= - 

 once embraces the whole, it is desirable that it should 

 be of some regular figure." 



6088. Nicol says, " a variety of forms may be indulged in, 

 without incurring censure ; provided the figures be graceful, 

 and not in any one place too complicated. An oval is a figure 

 that generally pleases, on account of the continuity of its out- 

 lines ; next, if extensive, a circle. Next, perhaps, a segment 

 in form of a halt- moon, or the larger segment of an oval. But 

 hearts, diamonds, triangles, or squares, if small, seldom please. 

 A simple parallelogram, divided into beds running lengthwise, 

 or the larger segment of an oval, with beds running parallel to 

 its outer margin, will always please." Neill concurs in this 

 opinion. 



6089. The author of Hints on the Formation of Gardens, &c. 

 says, " a symmetrical form is best adapted to such parterres as 

 are small and may be comprehended in one view ; and an irregular shape to'such as are of a considerable 

 size, and contain trees, shrubs, statues, vases, seats, and buildings." 



6090. Boundary fence, or screen. Parterres on a small scale may be enclosed by an 

 evergreen hedge of holly, box, laurel, privet, juniper, laurustinus, or Irish whin ( Ulex 

 europcsus, var. a.) ; but irregular figures, especially if of some extent, can only be sur- 

 rounded by a shrubbery, such as we have already hinted at (6082.) as forming a proper 

 shelter for flower-gardens. 



6091. Abercrombie says, " for the enclosure, a wall or close paling is, on two accounts, to be preferred 

 on the north side ; both to serve as a screen, and to afford a warm internal face for training rare trees. 

 When one of those is not adopted, recourse may be had to a fence of white thorn and holly," &c. {PracL 

 Gard. 339.) 



6092. Rustic fences formed of shoots of the oak, hazel, or larch, may often be intro- 

 duced with good effect both as interior and surroxmding barriers, {jig. 542. ) 





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6093. Laying out the area. This is the most difficult part of the lousiness, and is not 

 to be excelled in without a considerable degree of taste and experience. Jn laying out 



