GARDEN DESIGN. 



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of obtaining such knowledge except by applying one's mind to the 

 problems involved. It is the opinion of many that painted pictures 

 are better subjects for such study than average garden scenes. One 

 may be sure of the correct guidance of famous landscape painters, 

 whereas perfectly composed garden pictures are extremely difficult 

 to find. Study of the methods of composition and colouring of the 

 best landscape artists will implant in one's mind many useful principles, 

 of which instinctive use is made when engaged in the work of picture- 

 making by actual garden practice. The following are a few of 

 the lessons that may be acquired. One may learn something of the 

 principles of connexion and how necessary it is to connect the different 

 objects in a scene : how the parts in detail are treated to form a well- 

 planned whole ; how to hint at some concealed attraction without 

 weakening the effect by premature disclosure ; how buildings should be 

 associated with and framed by the landscape. One may see how a real 

 picture is divided into three points of distance, and appreciate the very 

 great importance of showing clearly what is nearest ; how necessary it 

 is to give a definite meaning to every picture. One will learn the value 

 of contrast ; how to omit useless objects and how to group features 

 which otherwise might have a scanty effect ; and with practice to 

 learn generally how to avoid tameness on the one hand and over- 

 elaboration on the other. In one of the simplest of Ruskin's works, 

 " The Elements of Drawing," are given useful definitions of such 

 qualities as unity, harmony, and sympathy, and easy explanations of 

 the laws of repetition, continuity, radiation, contrast, &c, which, 

 although written for the use of artist-students, will be found none 

 the less valuable in teaching the garden designer something of the 

 art of composition and help him to separate the good from the bad 

 in any picture presented in the garden or elsewhere. 



Ruskin insists on the impossibility of laying down rules to ensure 

 proper composition, and states that, although no one can invent by 

 rule, there are simple laws of arrangement which it is well to under- 

 stand, because, even if these cannot help one to produce a good picture, 

 they may assist in one's work. In his definition of composition 

 he says that " the first object is to secure unity," and the best mode 

 of effecting this is to determine that one feature shall be more important 

 than the rest, and that the others shall group with it in subordinate 

 positions. This is a simple enough maxim, and one which could be 

 applied with advantage to many present-day garden scenes. So many 

 views, especially in what are called landscape gardens, are unneces- 

 sarily vapid in character for want of some feature which stands out 

 distinctively; others— generally in symmetrical gardens — by reason 

 of a fault which amounts to the same weakness. They contain too 

 many important features of equal value which neutralize the effect 

 of each other. Such ineffective scenes may often at a single stroke 

 be transformed into a picture by the application of the principle 

 quoted. In dealing with the law of repetition, Ruskin remarks that 

 " one of the pleasantest kinds of sympathy is when one group imitates 



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