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ON BEAUTY OF LINES IN GARDENING. 
What has been affirmed respecting the fitness of straight lines in the vicinity of houses, 
may also be extended to other buildings, such as temples, conservatories, ranges of plant- 
houses, &c., where a decidedly architectural character is attained, or any great dimensions 
or length realised. In kitchen-gardens, too, where the shape is anything resembling a 
square or parallelogram, straight walks are always to be preferred for convenience, and 
because they cut up the ground less. 
When the walks of a place are mainly in straight lines, the flower-beds or masses of 
shrubs, or single plants near the house, should so far correspond as to be in lines and 
regular shapes, as much as possible. Not that angular figures need be employed 
exclusively. Circles, ovals, crescents, or any curved shape in flower-gardens, if it has its 
correspondent shape in the opposite part, will not only be proper, but may often be most 
desirable. Indeed, wherever, as a rule, the choice lies between an angular figure and one 
of which the outline presents any part of a circle, the latter is always best, provided it does 
not produce too much sameness. A row of circular beds, or circles for specimen plants, 
on each side of a straight walk, is therefore far preferable to a similar row of square or 
oblong ones. 
Straight lines, then, are adapted to the walks or the beds of a flower-garden, imme- 
diately around a house or other extensive building, and to ground that is either flat or 
capable of being made so, or which can be divided easily into terraces. Curved lines, on 
the other hand, are suited to every other kind of situation, and specially recommend 
themselves where the surface of the ground is irregular and undulated, where the space is 
circumscribed, where the walks are wished to be concealed from the house, and where 
greater variety and naturalness are sought. By means of these, in short, a place may be 
made to appear very much larger than it is ; a far greater diversity of view, both of the 
place itself, and of the outlying district, may be obtained ; more privacy and shade can be 
secured ; and the positive beauty of all the lines will be decidedly superior. 
Considered in itself, few will dispute the position that a curved line is more really 
beautiful than a straight one. Barely a single object in nature that men generally account 
beautiful, could be pointed out, the form of which is not defined by more or less undulating 
lines. This justifies, and well nigh necessitates, the use of such lines in works of art, 
especially when such works are meant to resemble nature, and are composed of nature's 
own materials. But though a distinct and well-marked wavy outline be found in the most 
beautiful animals and smaller natural things, such is not the case in respect to the higher 
of the vegetable forms. In single specimens and natural groups of these, while some 
degree of symmetry and clearly defined waviness is often preserved, yet no simple curved 
line could ever mark their exterior. Hence, in the treatment of groups of plants on lawns, 
or elsewhere, the shape of the dug ground should at first be neatly delineated, but in very 
irregular and varied curves ; so that, when the plants cover it, and the sharp outline is 
destroyed, (as it always should be, unless where flowers are cultivated along the front of 
the mass,) the broken character of a natural clump, with its bold juttings and deep 
indentations, or softer swells and gracefully retiring sweeps, may be fully attained. And 
this is one of the modes in which picturesqueness can be introduced into gardens. 
In walks composed of curved or serpentine lines, the different sweeps should be varied, 
as much as the space will admit, in boldness and length, and they should either have or 
seem to have some natural obstacle opposing and preventing a straighter course. A swell 
in the ground, a group of trees or shrubs, a small erection, or an irregular mass of rock or 
stones, partially covered with trailing plants or low evergreens, will in general accomplish 
the needful obstruction. Whichever of these, or whatever else, may be selected, if the 
next curve in the walk takes an opposite direction, and thus becomes liable to be seen from 
the present one, this must be carefully prevented by some evergreens, or other means, 
which will do it effectually at all seasons of the year. One of the greatest deformities of 
a serpentine walk is the being able to see two or more of its curves at the same time. 
Considerable boldness in the sweeps is the best remedy for such a defect. It is by no 
means requisite or desirable that a serpentine walk should have its curves set out to a 
regular radius. Provided they are easy, and please the eye, and are well adapted to the 
