December 24, 1904. 
The Gardening World 
MOTTO FOR THE WEEK: 
“Little low hedges, round like welts, with some pyramids, I like well.”— Bacon. 
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Views and Reviews. 
Topiary Gardening/" 
I In this book of eighty pages the writers 
have set themselves the task of giving us a 
modem view of the art of topiary gardening, 
concerning which much has been said in its 
praise and otherwise, especially the latter. 
The substance of the opinion, however, seems 
I to have been well put by the late Shirley 
Hibbard, who is quoted in more than one 
part of the book. The gist of what he says 
may be quoted in bis own words: “ I may 
not appear to despise another man’s pleasure 
or vainly desire to set up a standard of my 
own in opposition to the delightful variety 
that is ensured by the free exercise of in¬ 
dividual taste and fancy.” 
I The latter part of this statement well ex¬ 
presses what we should like to say with 
regal'd to topiary gardening, and that also 
applies to various other styles of gardening. 
We think it a false attempt at progress when 
s landscape gardeners and others concerned in 
s the making of gardens fix upon one ideal 
form of gardening, and not only think that 
all other gardens ought to be similarly 
fashioned, but set themselves to the task of 
ensuring that it will be so on every possible 
occasion. When such a thing happens it is 
similar to the plan of our American cousins, 
who, when they hit upon something good or 
distinct, run it to death before they have 
done with it. A similar idea is often ex¬ 
pressed by writers in this country who speak 
of the Tulip mania in bygone times, or the 
bedding craze which has not yet been fully 
extinguished, but has retired into more 
moderate and modest dimensions. 
The authors of this book set themselves 
the task of reviewing the situation and 
pleading for a reasonable hearing without 
making any attempt to push a style of gar¬ 
dening to extremity. The book is well illus¬ 
trated with photographs of the various sub¬ 
jects of which they speak and under the 
varying circumstances in which it occurs, 
whether in the grounds of the lordly man¬ 
sion or in the garden of the cottager. 
Several full-page illustrations give as 
many views of the gardens and grounds at 
Levens Hall, Westmorland, where Mr. Gib- 
* “ The Book of Topiary," by Charles H. Curtis, F.R.H.S., 
and W. Gibson. John Lane, The Bodiey Head, London and 
New York. MCMIV. Price2s.6d.net. 
son, one of the authors, is head gardener. 
The frontispiece shows a view in the gardens 
in which the clipped trees are very numerous 
and in a great variety of forms, while the 
herbaceous plants are relatively reduced in 
numbers and placed between the larger 
figures of clipped trees and shrubs, well de¬ 
scribed,’ perhaps, as verdant sculpture, for it 
is difficult to apply either tree or shrub to 
the specimens in the sense that such terms 
are usually applied. In another view of the 
gardens, a Cedar of Lebanon stands out in 
bold relief from the other subjects, but, 
curiously enough, this is a tree that fits in 
very well with topiary gardening and with 
architecture itself, the great limbs of old 
trees being spread out horizontally and pre¬ 
senting much the same appearance for long 
periods of time, the difference being chiefly 
in age and size. 
Opposite page 140 is a picture of Messrs. 
Cheal and Sons’ collection of peacocks, 
tables, boats and spirals. The latter in the 
time of our forefathers would no doubt have 
been termed the serpent which beguiled Eve. 
Concerning the birds and beasts, the objects 
themselves are real enough, but the names 
applied to them are rather fanciful. One of 
the other figures pictured in the book is 
spoken of as a swan, though a goose would 
have been a better term, taking the standard 
of the ornithologist, while the bam-door fowl 
would seem to be a new species judging by 
the length of the tail. The most humorous, 
perhaps, of these figures is the pig cut in 
Box, which would have been much improved 
if it had shaved before having its photo 
taken. The curl of the tail may be artistic, 
but scarcely natural. Possibly, however, it 
was not yet complete, as in the case of some 
of the articles which Pope described as 
having been listed by a nurseryman of his 
day. 
In the form of hedges, perhaps, the least 
lias been said against the art of the topiarist, 
as most hedges are essentially formal, and 
the better they are kept the more they are 
liked. At the present day our wonder is 
now and again excited by the sight of a Yew 
hedge broad enough on the top for a carriage 
and pair. The height of these hedges is also 
sometimes considerable, and would indicate 
antiquity when these hedges consist of Yew 
trees. Sometimes they are of Beech, as in 
the case of that surrounding the bowling- 
green at Levens. There is, however, a Beech 
hedge about SO ft. in height in the High¬ 
lands, though it is only trimmed on one side 
to prevent ft overhanging the road. 
