The Art of Gardening 



he can always persuade her to produce 

 beauty of some sort, if he is wise enough to 

 know for what sort he should ask. 



This, of course, is true only in a theo- 

 retic sense. Theoretically, there is no spot 

 on earth an artist could not beautify. But 

 some spots would demand a hfe of antedilu- 

 vian length, and dollars as plentiful as the 

 sands by the sea. Practically, the landscape- 

 gardener, perhaps more than any other ar- 

 tist, is limited by questions of time and 

 money. And his partnership with Nature 

 limits him as regards not only the sort, but 

 the degree of beauty which he can achieve. 

 Nature may suggest the same sort in two 

 places, but if she prepares lavishly for it in 

 the one spot and parsimoniously in the 

 other, the best skill in the world may not be 

 able to succeed as well here as there. Yet, 

 I say, the landscape-gardener can always 

 count upon that perfection in details which 

 painter and sculptor never get j and his gen- 

 eral effects as well as his details have the 

 great advantage of being alive. A great ad- 

 vantage indeed, for it means many beautiful 

 results, in every piece of work instead of 

 II 



