LAYING OUT GARDENS. 



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as advised in the case of town gardens, while remarks on planting will be found in the 

 chapter which follows. 



COUNTRY GARDENS. 

 No two country gardens are alike, nor is it desirable that they should be. 

 The arrangements and designs ought always to be largely governed by (1) the 

 surroundings, (2) the natural conformation of the ground, and (3) the wishes of the 

 proprietor. In many instances proprietors do not take nearly enough interest in their 

 gardens and pleasure-grounds at the outset, their thoughts being concentrated on the 

 house that has been built, and which may only await the finishing touches at the 

 hands of decorators and furnishers. Not till it is too late is the fact realised that 

 the gardens have been laid out in a very unsatisfactory manner, by the person who has 

 done the work studying how to use as many trees and shrubs as possible. It does 

 not follow that there are no capable and honest men in the profession, but, on the 

 contrary, there are many clever gardeners who can be trusted to do what is right, and 

 reference is made to this matter with a view to advising owners of new residences 

 to look well after their own interests, while yet there is a chance of avoiding costly 

 mistakes. 



No such important work as forming and furnishing gardens should be done by any 

 loose, haphazard, "out of the head" methods; or, in other words, according to ideas 

 that may occur as operations proceed. To be satisfactory the work must be systematic, 

 rirst let a careful survey of the ground be made, plans prepared, and estimates 

 obtained ; and not until these have undergone scrutinizing examination should they be 

 accepted. Contract work comes much the cheaper, and because it is contracted for 

 is no reason why it should be scamped, nor would it be by a landscape gardener or 

 a nurseryman of good repute. Many nurserymen keep specially-trained men for pre- 

 paring plans, also for superintending the laying out and planting of gardens. 



A country house of a description that requires a good- sized kitchen garden, 

 orchard, and pleasure-ground should stand well back from a road, and must, therefore, 

 be approached by a drive. Whether this shall have a sweep through the grounds, 

 the carriages going in at one gate and out at another or not, must depend upon 

 circumstances. It is a question of convenience in accord with local arrangements. 

 Then it must be remembered that a drive through a small, or even a medium-sized 

 lawn, seriously limits its extent, and it should also be borne in mind that the work 



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