GARDEN DESIGN. 



577 



very familiar. The expenses of construction must have been enormous, 

 and. considered from our present standpoint, one may wonder if the 

 result was worth the outlay. The details are very intricate and 

 ingenious, but they do not offer opportunities suited to the horti- 

 cultural instincts of English gardeners of the present day. 



I may instance the ground plan of the parterre at Drottningholm, 

 the chief residence of the King of Sweden, which I have visited pro- 

 fessionally during the last two summers. The original gardens remain 

 in outline framed by the avenues as planted. These avenues consist 

 of magnificent old limes, but unfortunately some are missing. The 

 suggestion to cut down the whole of the trees remaining and to replant 

 the avenues with young trees was referred to me. I feel sure that if 

 I ventured to do such a thing in England I might as well retire from 

 my profession. One can scarcely say that a lime tree is dead until 

 it is cut down, as it has so much recuperative power. I therefore 

 suggested that a quarter of the roots of these old trees should be 

 pruned in successive years, that fresh soil should be added, and that 

 vigorous young trees should be planted to fill up the gaps. 



The question also arose as to the desirability of reinstating the 

 details of the old plan. In view of the historical interest of the 

 royal garden, which was to all intents and purposes a public park, 

 I thought the idea was justifiable, and preferable to working out 

 a new design. 



In one of Le Notre's gardens near Berlin, the main form was origin- 

 ally very similar to that of Drottningholm. but it has been much 

 Germanized during the last century, and the only original feature 

 which remains is the long central avenue, which extends for a distance 

 of half a mile. The interior of the garden, when I first saw it, had 

 been converted into thickets of trees and undergrowth, through 

 which there were a large number of walks winding about in every 

 direction, regardless of any definite plan. The best course appeared 

 to be to make the most of the central picture on the line of the main 

 avenue ; to provide a strong terrace base as a line of junction between 

 the house and the garden ; to reduce the number of paths, and to 

 give definite purpose to those retained ; to cut up the woodland into 

 a series of glades and vistas ; to isolate some of the best single trees, 

 and to form groups of others standing in grass. 



It seemed hopeless to attempt to incorporate any flower-gardens 

 with the landscape effects beyond the introduction of flowers suitable 

 for woodland, so we made elsewhere a series of special flower-gardens, 

 which were connected with the main terrace. 



Another example of Le Notre' s gardens which I have visited is near 

 Tours, in France. Here again the general plan is very much the same. 

 The original avenues of limes exist and are very imposing. The chateau 

 was built in the time of Louis XIV. A large moat was dug, but was 

 never filled with water, for the reason — so I was informed — that the 

 King wished to discourage the fortified strength of the castles of the 

 day. We are now going to make rose-gardens in the moat. Elaborate 



VOL. XXXIX. 2 Q 



