I50 ROYAL GARDENS 



the house itself or the door leading from house to garden, 

 may well be considered as the principal centre. And, when 

 needed, one or at most two other and less important ones, 

 away from the house (and if possible out of sight of each 

 other) may be indicated by a well-proportioned rose-arch, 

 forming a sort of gateway between flower and vegetable 

 garden, or by a small and carefully selected old sundial. 



2. Vitality. — The sense of life in a picture. This is pro- 

 bably the easiest of the four to secure in a garden, since the 

 materials with which a gardener makes his effects are nearly 

 all living and growing plants, trees and flowers. But the sense 

 of vitality is immensely increased by bold arrangements of 

 light and shade, and by well-chosen schemes of contrasting 

 colour. Evergreen trees such as cypress, yew, juniper and 

 conifers, with brown prunus and copper beech, supply the 

 darks in variety. Light trees, among which may be men- 

 tioned maple, ash, acacia, willow and silver birch, together 

 with certain shrubs, will form the more permanent masses 

 of light. But the flowers themselves, for which all the rest 

 is but a setting or background, are, naturally, the principal 

 resource for light. Unity is obtained by harmonious blend- 

 ing, and vitality increased by striking contrasts, of colour. 

 The dangers to be avoided in aiming at vitality are : too 

 many and over sudden oppositions of light and shade, and 

 too daring colour schemes. These will have a 'spotty' or 

 ' busy ' effect, and so destroy the unity of the garden. By 

 light and shade is meant here, the permanent contrast of dark 

 and light masses, not the effect of sun and shadow, though 

 these too will of course be taken into consideration by a 

 skilful garden designer. 



3. Infinity. — This is another term for mystery. As applied 

 to gardens, mystery may be taken to mean the hiding and 

 revealing of its beauties. A garden which exposes its whole 

 area at once, or can be altogether seen from any one place, 

 can never be as charming as it might be made. The element 



