ITALIAN VILLAS 
a vegetable-garden, is backed by the low facade of the 
lemon-house, or stanzone , which is an adjunct of every 
Italian villa. Here the lemon and orange trees, the 
camellias and other semi-tender shrubs, are stored in 
winter, to be set out in May in their red earthen jars on 
the stone slabs which border the walks of all old Italian 
gardens. 
The plan of the Gamberaia has been described thus 
in detail because it combines in an astonishingly small 
space, yet without the least sense of overcrowding, 
almost every typical excellence of the old Italian garden: 
free circulation of sunlight and air about the house ; 
abundance of water ; easy access to dense shade ; shel- 
tered walks with different points of view ; variety of 
effect produced by the skilful use of different levels ; 
and, finally, breadth and simplicity of composition. 
Here, also, may be noted in its fullest expression that 
principle of old gardening which the modern “land- 
scapist” has most completely unlearned, namely, the 
value of subdivision of spaces. Whereas the modern 
gardeners one idea of producing an effect of space is to 
annihilate his boundaries, and not only to merge into 
one another the necessary divisions of the garden, but 
also to blend this vague whole with the landscape, the 
old garden-architect proceeded on the opposite principle, 
arguing that, as the garden is but the prolongation of 
the house, and as a house containing a single huge 
room would be less interesting and less serviceable than 
