610 



GEOMETRICAL FLOWER-GARDENS. 



Sometimes trees and compact growing 

 shrubs were also admitted ; but these, as 

 well as the flowering plants, were sub- 

 jected to the knife and the shears, so that 

 no plant was allowed to assume its natu- 

 ral character. Even those planted by 

 the sides of the principal walks in lines, 

 or in other places on the grass or gravel, 

 were cut into regular shapes — into balls, 

 cones, or pyramids — but so as never to 

 interfere with the grand object in view — 

 namely, that of showing the entire figure 

 of the parterre at once, as a complete and 

 harmonious whole. Hence all such gar- 

 dens should be seen from a considerable 

 height above them, and as so completely 

 exemplified, upon a large scale, at such 

 places as Drumlanrig Castle and Holland 

 House. 



In regard to the boundary of a French 

 garden, it should be, if upon a large scale, 



sufficiently enclosed by a phalanx of 

 hedges, which some prefer to architec- 

 tural walls, gradually rising from front 

 to back, from the height of about 3 feet, 

 to that of 30 or more, according to the 

 space enclosed. These hedges should 

 run parallel to each other, and be gradu- 

 ated in distance from each other by their 

 respective heights, but still so that when 

 viewed from the interior they may not 

 appear as wholly distinct. 



In fig. 813, which exemplifies a French 

 garden in the style of Louis XIV., the 

 marginal borders are furnished with up- 

 right cypresses and other evergreens,with 

 globose heads, and trained to one stem, 

 and planted alternately. The centre is a 

 basin of water with a fountain. 



This garden is laid out in the rich 

 compartment style, and consists, besides 

 the marginal borders and basin, of four 



Fig. 813. 



