THEIR GENERAL ARRANGEMENT. 



0G3 



is nearly level in the opposite direc- 

 tion. 



We have no doubt that many will be 

 surprised at our recommendation of cir- 

 cular figures only. Those who have seen 

 the unique garden of Lady Broughton at 

 Hoole House, near Chester, figs. 908 and 

 909, will not, we are certain, be amongst 



Fig. 909. 



that number. The area of that flower- 

 garden is 60 yards long by 34 in breadth, 

 and its whole arrangement consists of 

 five straight rows of circles, each 9 feet 5 

 inches in diameter, and each surrounded 

 with wire basketwork, painted a yellow 

 stone colour, to harmonise with the very 

 tasteful rockwork (vide art. Rockwork) 

 which surrounds the garden. The dis- 

 tance between each of these circular beds 

 is 4 feet across the lawn, and 8 feet 10 

 inches in the longitudinal direction. Of 

 this garden, as it existed in 1847, when 

 we saw it, we give the plan as seen from 

 the house ; and as we could not procure 

 drawings of the splendid rockwork which 

 surrounds it, we can only observe that it 

 environs three sides of the ground, in- 

 terspersed with the trees and shrubs, as 

 shown in the margin of our plan, and 

 completely shutting out all other objects. 



We have given the ground-plan as 

 well as a perspective view of this garden, 

 to show the difference in the effect in 

 looking at a plan on paper, and one 

 on the ground, when finally planted, as 



well as to show the difference of shapes 

 on paper and shapes on ground. Many, 

 we know, would object to the plan of a 

 flower-garden composed entirely of circles, 

 as wanting in variety; but it will be 

 found in reality that a proper combina- 

 tion of circles, if not too large and of too 

 uniform a size, is productive of greater 

 variety than any irregular figures could 

 produce. Next to circles, ovals may be 

 adopted ; but squares and polygons should 

 be avoided. In size, circles should vary 

 from 18 inches to 10 feet in diameter, 

 and be at least 3 feet apart, and thrown 

 together in groups or constellations, as 

 the stars are in the firmament. To be 

 satisfied that the circle, when in combi- 

 nation as above, is capable of producing 

 greater variety than any other figure, the 

 oval not excepted, let us consider that 

 this form is always seen, from whatever 

 point it may be viewed, from the side of 

 the combination, and that, when planted 

 with shrubs, or filled with flowers, its 

 shape can never be detected from a side 

 view. Size and connection form the art, 

 therefore, of disposing of a modern garden 

 by the use of circles alone. 



Nor is the use of circular figures by 

 any means a modern invention, in lay- 

 ing out flower-gardens. Although of late 

 years strongly advocated by the late Mr 

 Loudon, he himself reminds us that this 

 figure was chiefly used by Mason the poet, 

 in laying out the flower-garden at Nune- 

 ham Courtenay, and by Major Price, in 

 laying out the flower-garden at Monewell 

 House ; and we may add to these examples 

 the original grounds at Frogmore. In 

 more recent times, circles and ovals have 

 been employed by Mr Wells in his English 

 flower-garden at Redleaf, and also at 

 Norbiton House, Teddington Grove, 

 Trent Park, and Bayfordbury, near Hert- 

 ford. " This last place," says Mr Loudon, 

 "being the largest in extent, and contain- 

 ing the greatest variety in the diameter 

 of the circles, we consider as a singularly 

 felicitous example." 



We have already stated that a garden, 

 to be laid out in the true gardenesque 

 style, should not be upon a large scale, if 

 the rules we have just laid down are to 

 be closely adhered to. There are, how- 

 ever, other modifications of this style, by 

 which many acres may be covered ; and 

 one of these is the combination of various 



