i6o 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
THE SYMMETRICAL AND THE NATURAL FLOWER 
GARDEN. 
I question if better examples of the symmetrical 
or ornamental flower garden and the English or 
natural garden can be found anywhere in our pub- 
lic parks as those shown in the accompanying two 
illustrations taken in Lincoln Park, Chicago. 
Located on both sides of the main driveway 
visitors to the park can never miss them, and lovers 
of the beautiful in landscape art have ample oppor- 
tunity to compare the merits or demerits of either 
style. They are both fair examples of man’s 
handicraft. 
The flower garden or grand parterre is quite old, 
and came into existence in the early days of Lin- 
coln Park; whereas the perennial or English garden, 
only dates back to the time when Mr. J. A. Petti- 
grew was the superintendent. 
Symmetrical or ornamental gardening never, or 
perhaps with few exceptions, fully understood or 
correctly designed in this country, has lost much of 
its prestige and it is well. 
Such an array of design! P'it for the showman, 
or ready-made to decorate the breast of some war- 
rior or secret society offlcial. Truly, it is to be 
hoped that the man with the sheep shears has van- 
ished for the good of garden art. 
But was it always the park gardener that was to 
blame? Unscrupulous park commissioners with 
more knowledge of ward politics than park work, 
often forced the unfortunate park gardener to carry 
out their ideas of how to embellish the public 
grounds under their care. But can we call this 
ornamental gardening, these fantastic conceptions 
of gardening art? And was it the true and skilled 
gardeners, those men who received their first lessons 
in the grand profession from masters of the art that 
conceived these ideas of “freak gardening?” I 
think not. 
Besides being inartistic and ungardenlike, this 
style of gardening is expensive and swallows up 
large amounts of money that otherwise would help 
to keep the lawn and plantations in better order. 
In the hands of the artist symmetrical gardening 
need not altogether be banished from our parks, 
and there certainly are situations in connection 
with our park buildings and monuments inviting or 
rather demanding this stj le of gardening. 
The Plnglish herbaceous perennial or natural 
garden, by whatever name it may be called, is the 
very opposite of the garden of symmetrical design, 
fitting and in place everywhere. It is inexpensive, 
as all the plants used are either perennials or an- 
nuals. It is at home along the house wall, will 
hide the unsightly fence and beautify the walk 
border. It enlivens the woodland border and 
gives charm and color to the margin of the pond 
or rivulet. It is interesting in individuality and 
produces an endless array of flowers from eaily 
spring till late fall, beginning with the snowdrop 
and closing when winter’s cold has blackened the 
last gentian and shriveled up the lovely Christmas 
rose. It is the garden for the poor and rich alike. 
There have been extremes in symmetrical gar- 
dening and there are extremes in natural garden- 
ing. If the gardener knows his limits in these two 
THE FORMAT GARDEN IN LINCOLN PARK, CHICAGO, WITH STATUE OF SCHILLER IN THE DISTANCE. 
