56 
Old Time Gardens 
or sand ; and with no dividing paths. Elaborate 
models in complicated geometrical pattern were 
given in gardeners' books, for setting out these 
knots, which were first drawn on paper and sub- 
divided into squares ; then the square of earth was 
similarly divided, and set out by precise rules. 
William Lawson, the Izaak Walton of gardeners, 
gave, as a result of forty-eight years of experience, 
some very attractive directions for large “ knottys " 
with different “ thrids " of flowers, each of one 
color, which made the design appear as if “ made 
of diverse colored ribands." One of his knots, 
from A New Orchard and Garden 1 6 1 8 , being 
a garden fashion in vogue when my forbears came 
to America, I have chosen as a device for the dedi- 
cation of this book, thinking it, in Lawson's words, 
“ so comely, and orderly placed, and so inter- 
mingled, that one looking thereon cannot but won- 
der." His knots had significant names, such as 
“ Cinkfoyle ; Flower de Luce; Trefoyle; Frette; 
Lozenge; Groseboowe ; Diamond; Ovall; Maze." 
Gervayse Markham gives various knot patterns 
to be bordered with Box cut eighteen inches broad 
at the bottom and kept flat at the top — with the 
ever present thought for the fine English linen. 
He has a varied list of circular, diamond-shaped, 
mixed, and “ single impleated knots." 
These garden knots were mildly sneered at by 
Lord Bacon; he said, “they be but toys, you see 
as good sights many times in tarts;" still I think 
they must have been quaint, and I should like to 
see a garden laid out to-day in these pretty Eliza- 
