l62 



ROYAL GARDENS 



the object being to ' break ' the sky-line instead of attempt- 

 ing great alterations in the ground surface. So long as the 

 eye travels pleasantly upwards and downwards in looking at a 

 view, it is immaterial whether those movements take place 

 high up or low down in the picture. But when the ground 

 is really appropriate, terraces have a very stately effect, act as 

 a link between mansion and grounds, and give many oppor- 

 tunities for interesting methods of gardening. 



Some writers on garden design seem to have a strong 

 dislike of any architectural features being included. They 

 are mostly horticulturists pure and simple. In their opinion 

 the functions of an architect entirely cease at the outer walls 

 of the house. Others again, for the most part professional 

 architects, insist that house and garden being parts of one 

 scheme, both should be designed by the same person. There 

 is a good deal to be said for and against both opinions. If 

 architectural features are to be totally abolished, one of the 

 best ways for ' setting ' a house comfortably into its environ- 

 ment disappears. And, on the other hand, if built brick and 

 stone work is overdone, the garden loses much of its charm 

 and suavity, through severe lines and hard edges taking the 

 place rightly belonging to soft and blurred masses of foliage. 

 Probably the wisest course is to make no hard and fast rule 

 on the subject, but to allow the peculiar circumstances of 

 each case to decide the matter. 



When the mansion is stately, somewhat severe in style, 

 and hard in outline ; when it is built above the general level 

 of the garden, and the surrounding landscape is undulating, 

 there are several good reasons for making terraces. One is 

 that the firm lines of the house are repeated by similar forms, 

 on a smaller scale, in the terrace. Vertical lines are cor- 

 rected by horizontal, and both are softened and harmonised 

 by diagonals. A long level terrace corrects the stiff" up- 

 right appearance of the house, and both are blended into a 

 pleasing whole by the slope of terrace steps and pitch of 

 roofs and gables. Another excellent reason for constructing 

 terraces is, not only do they ' repeat ' line and form but also 



