8 4 



FLORA AND SYLVA. 



typed gardens, probably made by the 

 "young man in the office" from a 

 book of plans. There is a belief in 

 plans which is most misleading and 

 only suits the wants of professionalism 

 in its worst form and prevents the 

 study of the ground itself, which is the 

 only right way to get the best result. 



Some of the new writers have no 

 heart for the many beautiful things in 

 the shape of trees and shrubs which we 

 have known during the past generation 

 or two. 



A very few varieties of English trees are suffi- 

 cient for all purposes, and we have yew for hedges, 

 fine turf for a carpet, and quite enough flowers of 

 brilliant hue that have always had a place in our 

 gardens without importing curiosities from abroad. 



No trees in our gardens but Eng- 

 lish ones ! Now, if any fact is clear 

 about gardening it is this, that the 

 garden's charm often arises from va- 

 riety, not necessarily 

 botanical variety, but 

 the difference between 

 a Menabilly and the conventional gar- 

 den essentially lies in a variety of trees, 

 shrubs and flowers. This writer, and 

 others like him, need to be taught that 

 it is absolutely impossible to make a 

 beautiful garden without the variety 

 which he says is useless. They have 

 not, of course, any idea of the dignity 

 and beauty of the trees of Japan, the 

 Rocky Mountains, and Northern Asia, 

 or America. 



One architectural writer says : 



It is no use spending money on gardeners 

 and repairs, as it might be much better invested 

 in architectural improvements or waterworks in the 

 pleasure grounds. 



Apart from its doubtful taste this 

 is a stupid and harmful idea, as the two 

 arts are in no way antagonistic, but 



Variety 

 essential. 



helpful. Take away all true planting 

 and good gardening from our Castle 

 Ashbys, Longleats or Wiltons, and 

 what do we gain ? For remember that 

 the ground about a house, even in 

 slopes which must be terraced, is often 

 but a very small area compared with 

 the planting we may have to do in the 

 home landscape. 



But the ugly buildings that strew 

 the land everywhere — Georgian, car- 

 penter's Gothic, Victorian ; if we take 

 away the good planting, the one saving 

 grace about them, there will be nothing 

 left but an ugly pile to laugh at. Many 

 of these ugly houses are saved from 

 ridicule by the trees and good planting 

 about them. Good building and good 

 planting go so well together — one 

 helping the other in every way — that 

 it is odd to see any one writing on the 

 subject without seeing that it is so. I 

 cannot suppose for a moment that any 

 good architect or other worker could 

 fail to see the gain of good planting 

 and good flower-gardening in rela- 

 tion to his work. We have only the 

 greatest satisfaction with a country 

 place when both building and planting 

 are good — a rare thing, unfortunately. 



To the good gardener all kinds of 

 design are good if not against the site, 

 soil, climate, or labours 

 of his garden — a very 

 important point the 

 last. We frequently see 

 beds a foot in diameter and many other 

 frivolities of the kind which prevent 

 the labours of a garden being done 

 with economy or simplicity. In many 

 places where these hard pattern gar- 

 dens are carried out, they are soon 



Any way good 

 that best suits 

 the site. 



