656 



GARDENESQUE STYLE OF FLOWER-GARDENS. 



the walk. This border, if exceeding 6 

 feet, may be laid out in form of any of the 

 four figures, 900 to 903, but with gravel 



Fig. 900. 



walks, and stone, slate, tile, or composi- 

 tion edgings, as should also be those of 

 the broad w T alk. There is no impropriety, 

 .in such cases, in having a border of 18 

 inches or 2 feet close to the walls of the 

 house, for creepers to be trained on the 

 walls, and also for small, and, as much as 

 can be, odoriferous flowering plants to 

 cover the soil — which is desirable on 

 account of appearance, as well as for pre- 

 venting the splashing of the walls during 

 heavy rains. 



There can only be one objection to 

 such a border, and that is, the fear of 

 damp penetrating the walls. This, how- 

 ever, can readily be provided against, by 

 draining well under it, and cutting off 

 the connection between the border and 

 wall, by introducing slate or pavement set 

 on edge, and placed parallel to the walls, 

 and from 2 to 4 inches distant from them. 

 The opening above may be left open, but 

 it were much better that it should be 

 covered with a neat cast-iron grating, to 

 prevent leaves or other litter falling in. 

 These, however, should not be fastened 

 down, as it may become necessary at 



times to remove them for the purpose of 

 clearing out any matter that may fall 

 into the space. 



We may here remark that, if circum- 

 stances are otherwise favourable, the gar- 

 den should be placed on the north side of 

 the house — that is to say, if immediately 

 connected with it — because all flowers na- 

 turally turn to the sun, and would in that 

 case present their faces, as it were, to 

 the windows from whence the garden is 

 viewed. In no instance have we seen 

 this better exemplified than at Belton 

 House, the seat of Earl Brownlow, where 

 the magnificent flower-garden is thus 

 placed. 



This is a very important point to be 

 kept in view in fixing on the proper 

 situation for a flower-garden — namely, 

 the form and arrangement of the mansion. 

 If the principal sitting-rooms be on the 

 north side, the garden may be so placed ; 

 but, on the other hand, if these are on 

 either of the opposite sides, so also should 

 be the flower-garden ; and hence the 

 necessity of co-operation between the 

 architect who builds the house, and the 

 landscape-gardener who arranges the 

 grounds. In this style the surfaces, 

 whether level or undulated, are to be 

 rendered smooth and regular — not so 

 truly mathematically level as in the geo- 

 metric, nor so rugged or uneven as in 

 the picturesque style. The grass here 

 requires to be kept in trim order, the 

 walks graceful in their curves, or straight, 

 as the case may be — their risings and fall- 

 ings made so gradual that their ascent or 

 descent may be easy and agreeable. 



From the house there must always be 

 a main walk, from appropriate points of 

 which others should branch to the several 

 parts of the garden, park, &c, and should 

 be so disposed as not to command a view 

 into any of the rooms. Gravel walks 

 should be rarely seen from the windows. 

 Where the extent of the grounds will 

 admit, they should be dispersed amongst 

 the plantations, with occasional openings 

 upon different views. The great art in 

 this depends upon judiciously directing 

 the windings of the walks, and varying 

 the views of natural and artificial objects, 

 so that the spectator may not be aware 

 that he is at times nearly retracing the 

 ground he has previously passed. Thus 

 a greater extent will be made to appear 



