MUNICIPAL PARKS 
12 7 
It gives a point and centre to the meandering paths, and 
comes as a distinct relief. In Southwark Park an avenue 
is growing up into fairly large trees. It seems stuck on to 
the Park—it is not straight, but it is not a definite curve, 
and it ends somehow by turning towards the entrance at 
one end and twisting in the direction of the pond at the 
other. So it remains a shady walk, but not an avenue 
with any pretension to forming part of a design. 
It is not for the formal only this appeal is made, it is 
for less formality and more real wildness, also a protest 
against the monotony of the green banks, and bunches of 
bushes, and meaningless curves, too often the only form 
of design. The aim in every case must be to have as 
much variety as possible without incongruity, and to make 
the utmost use of the ground ; to give the most pleasure 
at the least expense. 
One of the great difficulties must always be the 
numbers of people who enjoy these parks. The grass 
suffers to such an extent that portions must be periodi¬ 
cally enclosed to recover. Then the children have to 
be kept at a certain distance from the flowers, or the 
temptation to gather one over-masters the fear of the 
park-keeper. 
A green walk between trees would be a pleasing 
change from gravel and asphalt in a less-frequented 
part of some park, but it would doubtless have to 
be closed in sections, or there would soon be no turf 
left; but such an experiment might well be tried. 
The attempts in Brockwell, Golder’s Hill, and Ravens- 
court at “ old English gardens ” are most successful, 
and a welcome change in the monotony, and one has 
only to look at the crowded seats to see how much 
they are appreciated. 
