VASES AND URNS, &c. 



639 



the angles made at the junction of 

 walks, in niches in buildings, or in gra- 

 velled or other 

 Fig. 860. recesses by the 



sides of walks 

 prepared for 

 them. Wher- 

 ever a vase is 

 placed, it ought 

 not only to have 

 a base formed 

 of one or more 

 plinths, but a 

 pedestal, to raise 

 it above the 

 surro u n ding 

 vegetation, as 

 well as to give 

 it dignity of 

 character. No 

 ornament, of 

 whatever kind, 

 ought to be set 

 in an inconspi- 

 cuous situation, 

 or in the less 

 important parts 

 of the grounds ; 

 and further, no 

 ornament ought 

 to be employed, 

 the material of which is of less value and 

 durability than the material constituting 

 the objects on or against which it is to 

 be placed. No vase or sculptural orna- 

 ment should be placed as if it appeared 

 to rise immediately from the ground. 

 Vases are too often converted into sub- 

 stitutes for flower-pots, which, if they are 

 of classic form, is the very essence of bad 

 taste. They are, when on proper pedestals, 

 sufficient ornaments of themselves, and 

 should be considered in no other light. If 

 plants are introduced into them at all, in 

 architectural or geometrical gardens, they 

 should have some connection with archi- 

 tecture also — as the Acanthus, Agave, 

 Euphorbia, &c. 



In regard to employing vases of archi- 

 tectural or classic forms, of cast-iron, 

 pottery ware, or artificial stone, as a sub- 

 stitute for borders in small gardens, (town 

 ones in particular,) for the cultivation of 

 flowering plants, while they are ornaments 

 in themselves, they are also admirably 

 adapted for the purposes of culture in 

 such cases. " Nothing, however, ought to 



be recommended without assigning rea- 

 sons for doing so. Now, there are several 

 reasons for recommending elevated vases 

 as receptacles for flowers, in order that 

 they may form ornaments for gardens in 

 confined situations ; and there are also 

 reasons for recommending vases not to 

 be filled with flowers for gardens in the 

 country. We shall take these reasons in 

 the order of their importance." 



1st, Town gardens " are generally so 

 confined by walls, that no herbaceous 

 plant will thrive in them more than one 

 season. The cause is to be found in the 

 w T ant of air, of light, and of fresh soil." 

 The soil soon becomes sodden and useless 

 from want of drainage and a free circulation 

 of air, and the plants suffer from the latter 

 cause as much as from the former. The 

 remedy, therefore, is in elevating the 

 plants in vases set upon pedestals, and 

 filling them annually with fresh soil. The 

 area of such gardens, when small, should 

 always be of gravel, pavement, or some 

 composition which will be clean and com- 

 fortable to w r alk upon, but never of turf, 

 although this latter is persisted in without 

 ever producing a good effect, or lasting- 

 one season without renewal. The gravel 

 or stone pavement will always be dry and 

 clean, and avoid the necessity of being- 

 dependent on the jobbing gardener, who, 

 in general, is not the most agreeable or 

 reasonable visitor to deal with. One large 

 vase and two smaller ones will be suffi- 

 cient for the smallest-sized street garden ; 

 and these, if fresh filled with good soil 

 in spring, and planted, should be kept 

 the whole season after by the inmates of 

 the house, as occasional watering, weed- 

 ing, and tying up, will be the principal 

 routine. 



" By the plan of having vases instead 

 of beds," Mr Loudon remarks, " these 

 gardens might be kept neat all the year 

 round, at a trifling expense. In the sum- 

 mer, the vases might be filled with showy 

 flowers ; and, in winter, either left empty, 

 or planted with evergreen shrubs and 

 spicy bulbs." 



2d, Vases are interesting and beautiful 

 objects either with or without flowers. 

 " We are pleased to see flowers in them, 

 because, in addition to the natural beauty 

 of the flower, there is the important one 

 of these being presented to us in a new 

 and striking situation. The value, even of 



