FLOWER GARDENS. 



II TTJCH has been advanced concerning the important work of designing and laying 

 out pleasure-grounds and the general arrangement of trees, shrubs, and flowers, 

 and no good purpose would be served in repeating the various hints given. There 

 are, however, a few points requiring to be emphasised and a few fresh ideas to be 

 communicated — more especially in relation to flower gardens — before treating upon the 

 various classes of plants used in their embellishment. 



It is becoming more generally acknowledged that the most beautiful gardens are, 

 as a rule, those in which there are no set designs, that is to say, no geometrical 

 arrangement of beds. Formal designs after the various old-time styles borrowed 

 from Holland, Italy, and elsewhere, are not out of place in some of the large grounds 

 connected with the mansions of our wealthier aristocracy, and may be in keeping 

 with the architecture of many of the buildings with which they are associated, but 

 even in such cases they can easily be, and frequently have been, overdone. Excessive 

 formality destroys the repose and mars the enjoyment of a garden. It must also 

 be borne in mind that these elaborate designs, whether the beds are broadly margined 

 with yew or not, entail a great amount of labour in maintaining them in the perfect 

 condition they ought always to be seen, and swallow up thousands of tender plants 

 that have cost much in labour and fuel to produce. Grand masses of colour, such 

 as are annually to be seen at Hatfield House, Longleat, Wilton House, Witley Court 

 and Mentmore, are decidedly effective but by no means indispensable. 



Owners, or those responsible for the beautification of smaller pleasure-grounds, 

 will do well, then, to avoid laying down any elaborate or complicated arrangements of 

 flower-beds. Not only does the less formal style commend itself on the point of 

 economy, but what is even more to the purpose, such gardens are the most satisfactory 

 in the end. Instead of concentrating all the available stock of half-hardy plants in 

 one spot, it is far better to dispense with formal designs and to distribute flower-beds 

 about the grounds more as shown in the illustration on page 54. Even these 

 isolated beds should not be fanciful in design; plain circles, ovals, parallelograms 

 and the like, being much more effective when properly filled, and the least trouble 



