776 



OPEN FLOWER-GARDEN. 



of the lawn should be in proportion to the place, 

 as well as in others for privacy, and the means 

 of agreeably uniting one part of the grounds 

 with another. In small places, the lawn may 

 occupy the whole space with the exception of 

 the boundary screen of plantations or shrub- 

 beries, kitchen-garden, and such spaces as may 

 be planted for the purpose of effect ; and in 

 such, groups of American plants, ornamental 

 trees and shrubs, roses, &c, may be employed ; 

 nay, by judicious arrangement, the American 

 garden, Rosary, Florist's flower-garden, Alpine 

 garden, Perennial plant and reserve garden, may 

 be each introduced with sufficient effect, when 

 approached, but not to be seen from the win- 

 dows of the mansion — the parterre being under- 

 stood to adjoin the house. In places of greater 

 extent, all these can readily be carried into 

 effect without in any way interfering with the 

 general effect of the whole. With the parterre 

 or terraced garden on one or more of the garden 

 fronts of the house, the lawn in sight of the 

 principal windows should not be broken up with 

 flower-plots, the proper furnishing for it being 

 groups of trees and shrubs, either singly or com- 

 bined; nor should these be so placed or crowded 

 as to reduce its apparent dimensions, and the 

 depth of views seen through unbroken grass 

 glades between them. The trees and shrubs on 

 the lawn should all be disposed of in the gar- 

 denesque manner ; that is, so that each indivi- 

 dual plant may assume its natural shape and 

 habit of growth. Where masses are planted to 

 produce immediate effect, care must be taken 

 that they be thinned out in time, so that each 

 tree, when separated from the mass, shall appear 

 a perfect specimen of its kind. While we 

 deprecate the idea of crowding the lawn with 

 common oaks, elms, or beeches, we would 

 equally avoid planting such trees as are too 

 tender, or incapable of arriving at their fullest 

 and most perfect development. A flower-garden 

 in the natural style may be placed near the 

 extremity of the lawn, if masked out by shrubs, 

 &c, till entered ; it will invite to frequent visits, 

 and form the termination of the series of distant 

 gardens we have alluded to, and connect them 

 with the kitchen-garden, from which it should 

 be not far distant ; while the kitchen-garden 

 itself should be placed at the very extremity. 

 The bowling-green, on the other hand, should be 

 on the lawn, and near to the house; yet it is 

 desirable that it should be planted out, if such can 

 be done without prejudice to general effect : even 

 if exposed, it in no way breaks into the lawn, on 

 account of its being of the same colour. 



The bowling-green should be rendered per- 

 fectly dry by drainage, and of course made as 

 level as possible, and kept closely mown, and 

 repeatedly rolled. As to form, that of a paral- 

 lelogram is the best ; that of a circle, although 

 the form longest in use, the most absurd for 

 the purpose. The lawn or flower - garden in 

 the irregular style should have a good exposure 

 to the sun and air; yet, to prevent the effects 

 of high winds, it should be sheltered, but 

 not, as is too often done, by high trees, whose 

 lengthened shadows during winter render it 



cold and damp ; while deciduous ones, in shed- 

 ding their leaves in autumn, not only give it a 

 littery appearance, but these, if not gathered up 

 in time, injure the late-flowering plants. An espa- 

 lier or covered walk, planted with ornamental 

 flowering shrubs, will afford sufficient shelter, if 

 backed at a distance by trees, while in itself it 

 associates with the plants it surrounds, and adds 

 to the gaiety of the scene by the profusion of 

 flowers produced on it. Whether the design of 

 the beds be in the geometric or natural style 

 matters little, so long as distorted lines are 

 avoided, and the compartments are not too 

 large ; the groundwork or walks between them 

 are of greater consequence. The prevailing taste 

 is in favour of grass, on account, as is said, of 

 the more cheerful and clothed appearance the 

 garden has during winter. It should, however, 

 be borne in mind that a flower-garden at a dis- 

 tance from the house is rarely visited during 

 that season, and that, in a country like most of 

 Scotland, it is not available at all times, even 

 during summer, on account of the dampness of 

 the grass. If grass, therefore, is employed, dry 

 gravel-walks should be introduced to the extent 

 of admitting of its being visited at all times ; 

 and these, in whichever of the styles the garden 

 may be laid out, can be introduced without 

 at all affecting the general expression of the 

 whole. Presuming the terraced garden in con- 

 nection with the house is planted in the grouping 

 manner — that is, with due consideration to the 

 effects of colours when harmoniously arranged — 

 the lawn flower-garden, if even for variety, may 

 be planted in the mixed manner — that is, having 

 flowering shrubs, roses, herbaceous and annual 

 plants, intermingled together in agreeable va- 

 riety. In planting such a garden, the greatest 

 attention should be paid, so that its arrangement 

 may not only form an effective whole, but that 

 it shall also display secondary and even minor 

 effects in individual groups, when seen in parts 

 where the whole cannot be comprehended at 

 once. The want of conformity in this respect 

 has no doubt a good effect when seen from cer- 

 tain leading points of view, but when examined 

 in close detail they lose all their interest except 

 what arises from individual subjects, or from 

 these when grouped in masses, when they pro- 

 duce secondary and minor effects. Under ordi- 

 nary circumstances, such a garden may, with all 

 propriety, contain a certain number of artistic 

 decorations; but when laid out in the highest 

 style of keeping, these may be carried to a much 

 greater extent, particularly as regards fountains 

 and vases. The mixed flower-garden may be 

 laid out on a perfect flat, but where the inequa- 

 lity of the ground admits of it, terraces are 

 quite apropos, and the more especially where 

 conservatories or plant-houses form an adjunct. 

 These, however, should be elevated not less than 

 3 feet above the garden below, and a terrace- 

 walk should separate the one from the other, 

 the terrace to form the base of the building, and 

 to give greater elevation to it. The flower-garden, 

 whether in the irregular or the geometric style, 

 will be seen from this terrace to greater advan- 

 tage than if viewed as a whole from any part 



