582 



LAYING OUT FLOWER-GARDENS. 



possible from the easy flowing outline of 

 the group." Clumps are far too stiff, 

 formal, and dense to bear any semblance 

 to nature ; and crowded shrubberies, and 

 groups of shrubs in lawns and flower- 

 gardens, are too often liable to the same 

 objection. This often arises from neglect 

 injudicious thinning, even when the ori- 

 ginal disposal has been the most perfect. 

 Sir Uvedale Price, in his Essay on the 

 Picturesque, attacks the clumping system 

 with great vigour, and observes, " Natural 

 groups are full of openings and hollows, 

 of trees advancing before, or retiring be- 

 hind each other ; all productive of intri- 

 cacy, of variety of deep shadows and 

 brilliant lights. In walking about them, 

 the form changes at every step — new 

 combinations, new lights and shades — new 

 inlets, present themselves in succession. 

 But Clumps, like compact bodies of sol- 

 diers, resist attacks from all quarters. 

 Examine them in every point of view — 

 walk round them — no opening, no va- 

 cancy, no stragglers — but, in the true 

 military character, Us sotit face partout." 

 In planting, we too often plant too thick, 

 with a view to produce immediate effect ; 

 and this is certainly not to be condemned ; 

 but too often a total neglect is evinced of 

 timeous thinning, and the whole mass is 

 allowed to grow on, presenting all the 

 while a fair enough exterior appearance 

 so far as verdure is concerned, but com- 

 pletely changed from the light and airy 

 character of the group to the stiff and 

 formal clump. In the formation of groups, 

 care should also be taken so to place them 

 in the garden that they may not stand in 

 too regular or artificial a manner — as one 

 at each corner of a triangle, or other 

 geometrical figure — but so to dispose them 

 as that the whole may exhibit the variety, 

 connection, and pleasing intricacy seen in 

 nature. 



In planting, to produce either garden- 

 esque or picturesque effect in their highest 

 order, trees and shrubs of the most grace- 

 ful habits only should be chosen. Plate 

 XXXII. will illustrate the system of 

 grouping, to produce the beautiful in the 

 gardenesque style ; while Plate XXXIII. 

 will show that adapted to the refined 

 picturesque. " It is proper," as is very 

 judiciously remarked by Downing, " that 

 we should here remark, that a distinct 

 species of after-treatment is required for 



the two modes. Groups, where the 

 beautiful is aimed at, should be pruned 

 with care, and indeed scarcely at all, ex- 

 cept to remedy disease, or to correct a 

 bad form. Above all, the full luxuriance 

 and development of the tree should be 

 encouraged, by good soil and repeated 

 manurings, when necessary ; and that 

 most expressively elegant fall and droop of 

 the branches, which so completely denotes 

 the beautiful in trees, should never be 

 warred against by any trimming of the 

 lower branches. In the picturesque style, 

 everything depends on intricacy and 

 irregularity; and grouping, therefore, 

 must often be done in the most irregular 

 manner — rarely, if ever, with single speci- 

 mens, as every object should seem to 

 connect itself with something else. But 

 most frequently there should be irregular 

 groups, occasionally running into thickets, 

 and always more or less touching each 

 other — trusting to after time for any 

 thinning, should it be necessary." 



From what we have thus briefly stated 

 in reference to the two latter styles, it 

 will sufficiently appear that planting, 

 grouping, and culture, to produce the de- 

 sired effect in the gardenesque style, 

 require much less artistic skill, although 

 much more care and attention, than in 

 producing equally happy effects in the 

 picturesque. The charm produced on 

 the mind on viewing a highly refined and 

 polished garden in the gardenesque style, 

 in which are developed the richness and 

 beauty of high culture, arises from our 

 admiration of the highest perfection, the 

 greatest beauty of form, to which every 

 object in it can be brought. 



The kind of trees and shrubs introduced 

 into these three styles of gardens requires 

 consideration, so far as their form and 

 habit is concerned, because they of them- 

 selves give expression and character, 

 which, if misplaced, will sadly derange 

 the harmony of effect. Thus trees of 

 fastigiate character and symmetry of form 

 are best suited to the geometric style. 

 Hence the cypress, upright or Swedish 

 juniper, Irish yew, &c, in their natural 

 state, are to be employed. In the gar- 

 denesque, trees of varied character, but 

 of graceful outlines, are admissible, and 

 amongst them those of drooping or weep- 

 ing habits ; but even those are most 

 effective when planted singly, and on 



