662 



GARDENESQUE STYLE OF FLOWER-GARDENS. 



succession. — Vide section Harmony of 

 Colours. 



From all this, it will be seen that in the 

 gardenesque style, where circular figures 

 are only to be employed, the field of 

 operation must not be upon a large scale. 

 When such, however, is the case, recourse 

 must be had not only to a greater variety 

 of figures, but also to a partial introduc- 

 tion of the geometric style, as exhibited 

 in Plate XXXII. 



In Plate XXXII. we have shown the 

 arrangement of a garden in this style : 

 the groundwork, it will be seen, is a grassy 

 lawn, reduced to uniformity of surface. 

 The shrubs which occupy the margin are 

 planted singly, and, although irregularly 

 dispersed, are nevertheless individually 

 distinct, and allowed to develop their 

 natural characters. The grass is mown 

 around them, nor is the surface anywhere 

 broken. The larger circles are planted 

 with shrubs, both deciduous and ever- 

 green, and one genus of plants only is 

 admitted into each. The outlines of the 

 figures are kept scrupulously perfect, 

 while the ground between the shrubs 

 is kept under the hoe and rake. The 

 smaller circles are each planted also with 

 one genus of plants, and those of the 

 same colour, and as far as possible with 

 the same variety. Thus, for example, 

 the scarlet beds may be planted with 

 scarlet geraniums, scarlet verbenas, &c. ; 

 the blue beds with Salvia patens, Nemo- 

 philla insignis, &c. ; the yellow beds 

 with yellow calceolarias, Lasthenia cali- 

 fornica, <fcc. ; — and so of the rest. These 

 beds should all be enclosed within wire 

 basketwork, to prevent the branches from 

 encroaching upon the grass, as well as 

 more perfectly to retain the regularity of 

 outline. The larger beds do not require 

 this precaution, as judicious pruning will 

 keep the shrubs within their 

 proper bounds. Besides, they 

 being grown as distinct sub- 

 jects, which of itself consti- 

 tutes a principle in this style, 

 their encroachment on the 

 grass will not readily take 

 place j and should they do so, 

 it is easy to increase the size 

 of the beds. The walks are of 

 gravel, and should not be less 

 than 6 feet in breadth. Their 



prevent their being seen from the win- 

 dows of the house, as well as to ad- 

 mit of their greater extension. Where 

 they break off into different direc- 

 tions, apparent obstructions are thrown 

 in, to give, as it were, a reason for the 

 deviation : hence, to avoid cutting through 

 the two largest circular clumps of shrubs, 

 a a, they make a detour round them ; 

 while the two vases, set on proportioned 

 square pedestals, b b, afford a reason for 

 their branching off at these points. The 

 covered resting-places c c offer an excuse 

 for the walks taking these directions ; 

 while those terminating at d d either lead 

 to distant prospects, or, in the case for 

 which this design was composed, the one 

 leads towards the kitchen- garden and 

 the other to the home-farm. The ground 

 beyond the lawn, as shown dotted with 

 single trees and shrubs, is planted with a 

 thick screen plantation, which separates 

 it completely from the surrounding 

 grounds, which are used for agricultural 

 purposes, and possess no features which 

 it would be desirable should be seen from 

 the principal windows on this side of the 

 house. 



The house is a Grecian villa, before 

 which we have laid out, on the terrace in 

 front, a small geometrical garden, sur- 

 rounded by a parapet wall and a 2 -feet 

 open balustrading, with vases of artificial 

 stone set at regular distances along its 

 top. The flight of steps leading from this 

 geometrical garden to the lawn garden 

 below is furnished with an open stone 

 hand-rail, of the same pattern as the 

 balustrading above, with two terra-cotta 

 vases on the top and bottom ends of the 

 hand-rail. This upper garden is laid out 

 with gravel walks and box edgings. The 

 lawn has a gentle declivity from the ter- 

 race wall to its farthest extremity, but 



