SITUATION. 



25 



conveniences, and suitable to a private 

 family, or retired tradesman. 



The ground is laid out in the garden- 

 esque style, with abundance of walks, 

 and those so united as to do away as 

 much as possible with all necessity for 

 returning by the same route. The 

 boundary is closely planted with orna- 

 mental trees and shrubs, so as completely 

 to shut out the enclosing wall, and pre- 

 vent the smallness of the space from 

 being detected ; as well as to screen the 

 kitchen garden which is placed at a, and 

 the greenhouse b, vinery c, with the 

 pits d d d, from the lawn or pleasure- 

 ground. The house stands at e, with a 

 semicircular terrace / in front extend- 

 ing to the steps g, which lead to the 

 principal part of the lawn. A border of 

 flowers is placed along the front of the 

 house, succeeded by a semicircular plot 

 of grass upon which four small circular 

 beds are placed, for scarlet geraniums, or 

 other equally showy plants, during sum- 

 mer. These beds are raised a foot at the 

 centre, and their margin is encompassed 

 with a stone edging 9 inches deep. When 

 the plants are removed in autumn, their 

 places are supplied with highly orna- 

 mental vases, set on 2-feet pedestals in the 

 centre of each plot, and the soil between 

 the base of these pedestals and the stone 

 border is covered with green moss. A vase 

 of corresponding style is set on the ends 

 of the parapet h h, on each side of the 

 steps, but not close to them. A broad 

 gravel walk, in connection with the open- 

 ing windows of the dining-room and 

 drawing-room, runs parallel with the 

 semicircular grass-plot, and is separated 

 from it by a narrow border of flowers. 

 On passing from the semicircular gravel 

 walk we arrive at a square plateau of 

 gravel, i, with two side-wings of grass. 

 The gravel walks are carried through 

 the grounds in such a manner as to give 

 the greatest possible extent of prome- 

 nade. These walks, however, lead to 

 points of importance or interest — as, for 

 example, one leads to, and enters the 

 kitchen garden at j, another to the green- 

 house and pit ground at k, while the 

 branches from the main walk, at the low- 

 est or farther part of the lawn, lead to 

 two resting-seats 1 1, and also to a sum- 

 mer-house at m. Dwarf flowering and 

 evergreen shrubs occupy the larger beds, 



VOL. I. 



while showy herbaceous plants, bulbs, 

 and annuals, are placed in the circular 

 clumps dotted amongst them. The kitchen 

 garden is connected, yet shut out from 

 sight both from the lawn and windows ; 

 and the buildings connected with the 

 green-house, vinery, and pits, are en- 

 closed within walls also screened with 

 shrubbery. 



We give these as specimens of situation 

 and arrangement, as they can be illus- 

 trated on the scale here aimed at. To 

 give similar examples for places of great 

 extent, it would be requisite that these 

 should be accompanied with a map of a 

 great part of the park. We have chosen 

 these illustrations as suitable to a numer- 

 ous class of proprietors, many of whom 

 may not choose to call in the aid of a 

 garden architect ; and also as we consider 

 them excellent models of what ought to 

 be found in villa residences, and grounds 

 of limited extent. 



We have also given these examples of 

 villa gardens, because we regard them as 

 perfect of their class. To attempt to 

 extend the subject further would be 

 attended with small advantage : the prin- 

 ciples, however, which have been laid down 

 form the general rules ; and from them 

 the intelligent reader will be able to draw 

 such conclusions as will aid him in 

 applying them to his circumstances and 

 taste. It would be superfluous to go at 

 large into the kitchen or fruit garden 

 details of villa gardens, as these will be 

 found in another part of this work. 

 Ample directions on those heads, and 

 also under the head Flower Garden — on 

 the disposal and formation of villa flower 

 gardens — will be hereafter given. (For 

 more relating to situation, see article 

 Style.) 



§ 6. — SOIL. 



A good soil, even in an indifferent situ- 

 ation, may make a good garden j but a 

 bad soil, let the situation be what it may, 

 cannot make a good one. It is, however, 

 fortunate, that although the art of man 

 can change or amend the situation only 

 to a very limited extent, he has the power 

 to make the soil what he pleases. An 

 entirely new and proper soil can be 

 formed on the surface of that which is 

 bad ; or, if the original level is not to be 



D 



