3 o8 A HISTORY OF GARDENINGJIN ENGLAND 
straight beds are often the keynote of the arrangement, but the 
prevailing wish is usually to produce colour effects. To mass 
plants of one kind or one colour, whether in beds or borders, 
in woods or glades, or by lakes and streams, to form some 
pleasing or striking picture, is the usual aim. Vivid contrasts 
or gorgeous tones melting from one to another, whole gardens 
devoted to one colour in all its varying shades, or rainbow gra¬ 
dations of tints, such are some of the effects which the modern 
gardener thinks out. The old “ mixed border ” is generally 
felt to be unsatisfying, and a succession of carefully planned 
groups, to produce a harmonious whole, has taken its place. 
The length of time the garden is beautiful has been prolonged 
by countless artifices, and a garden chiefly composed of brown 
earth for some months of the year is now an uncommon sight. 
The perpetual blooming roses, the improved hardy chrysanthe¬ 
mums, together with some of the Japanese maples and lilies, 
bring a brightness of summer into the purple and gold autumnal 
season. The early spring is ushered in by giant snowdrops and 
dainty iris, soon to be followed by glowing effects with J apanese 
cherries, peaches, and crab-apples. To fill turf with spring 
flowering bulbs is now the rule, and not the exception, just as 
rock gardens within the last few years have become general 
instead of unusual. 
Another feature now common to most gardens is the pergola. 
This did not come into fashion with the Italian gardens of the 
middle of last century, as might have been expected, and the 
pergola of English gardens to-day seems to have more in 
common with the shade alleys of Elizabethan times than 
with the vine-clad pergolas of Italy. The improvement of 
the rambler roses is perhaps chiefly responsible for the adoption 
of the pergola. 
All through the long years that horticulture has been 
practised in England the current history of each period has left 
its mark on the gardens, and the twentieth century promises 
to be no exception. Since the alliance between Great Britain 
and Japan, it has become the fashion to plant so-called 
“ Japanese gardens ” in this country. This has been rendered 
more easy by the increased intercourse between the two 
countries, and particularly since the Japanese have imbibed 
