House <y Garden 
STEPS TO A FLOWER GARDEN BELLE FONTAINE 
In sobriety and dignity lies the beauty of 
this quiet atrium giving impressiveness to 
the house. The forest trees enclose and 
shelter it in a way that no planted hedges or 
built walls could attain; and so well related 
to the house was the open space that, once 
the trees were cleared, little was needed to 
heighten the effect. A wise restraint gov¬ 
erned the work and a quiet reserve now 
pervades the result. No tumult of flowers 
disturbs the peaceful contemplation of the 
Egyptian lotus in the pool. Architectural 
ornaments are few, and effects have not been 
gained determinedly, but have been left to 
arrive by yearly growth. To more fully 
appreciate what has and has not been done, 
we have only to imagine how calamitous 
would have been the careless use of hedges, 
beds of flowers and labyrinthine walks, and 
to feel the serenity of the quiet lawn and the 
easy modulation to the forest made by the 
rows of young trees. The future growth of 
these planted avenues means a steady im¬ 
provement of the present ensemble. The 
wall at the extreme end containing the gate¬ 
way is half obscured by creeping vines; and 
sculpture has been used wisely to emphasize 
salient points. The two marble shafts, re¬ 
cently placed in the centre of the lawn, are 
the only restless objects in the scene ; and this 
by virtue of their inappropriate placing. 
They mar the wide basin of grass and should 
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