2 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
July  5,  1900. 
comparison  with  those  of  English  design,  and  as  exhibiting  the 
backward  state  of  insular  knot  gardening. 
The  superiority  of  the  French  in  this  style  of  garden  decoration 
is  brought  out  still  more  clearly  in  the  cuts  to  be  found  in  de  Herre’s 
‘‘Theatre  d’Agriculture  ”  (1600),  the  same  date  as  the  earliest  issue  of 
Surfleet’s  book,  in  which  initial  letters,  foliations,  and  animals’  heads 
form  parts  of  very  intricate  designs.  Several  were  plans  of  beds  in 
existence  at  Fontainebleau,  St.  (lermains  and  other  gardens,  and  are 
good  examples  of  the  work  of  Claude  Malet,  celebrated  as  the  gar¬ 
dener  to  Henry  IV.  A  magnificent  work,  earlier  than  the  above  by 
some  years,  pourtraying  the  chief  castles  of  France,  shows  that  the 
gardens  of  the  period  were  entirely  occupied  by  these  elaborately 
involved  creations  of  the  gardener’s  art.  Though  mottoes,  dragons, 
birds  and  animals  were  later  introduced  into  English  gardens,  there 
is  no  indicationThat  the  style  at  any  period  was  carried  out  in  the 
extravagant  fashion  indulged  in  across  the  Channel. 
It  is  unfortunate  that  Hill  says  little  or  nothing  of  the  p'ants 
employed  in  knot  wmrk,  “the  which  may  be  set  either  with  Time  or 
Isope,’’  conveys  the  gist  o  f  the  details  in  “  The  Profittable  Arte.” 
Surfleet  and  Markham,  however,  give  detailed  directions  for  laying 
out  the  beds,  and  also  capital  lists  of  plants  suitable  for  the  purpose, 
and  it  is  not  a  little  striking  that  aromatic  or  sweet  scented  plants  or 
flowers  are  almost  solely  recommended.  Nothing  indeed  is  more 
charming  about  these  old  gardens  than  the  high  position  occupied  by 
sweet  smelling  vegetation.  If  a  plant  was  devoid  of  scent  in  foliage 
or  flower,  or  unendowed  with  some  medicinal  or  other  quality,  it  was 
coolly  set  aside  with  the  remark  that  the  writer  knew  of  no  reason  for 
incluaing  it  in  a  garden  save  that  it  bore  a  flower  !  There  was 
indeed  no  dislike  to  a  plant  because  it  possessed  a  beautiful  flower* 
but  the  sense  of  smell  seems  to  have  been  educated  and  provided  for 
in  a  manner  rarely  considered  in  furnishing  present  day  gardens. 
Says  one  writer  :  “  What  more  delightsome  than  an  infinite  varietie  of 
sweet  smelling  flowers?  decking  with  sundry  cjloures,  the  greene 
mantle  of  the  earth.  Colouring  not  onely  the  earth,  but  decking  the 
ayre,  and  sweetening  every  breath  and  spirit.” 
It  is  not  wonderful,  therefore,  that  of  plants  for  knots  “  the  most 
fit  and  meet  are  penniroyall,  lavander,  hyssope,  wild  thyme,  rosemarie, 
thyme,  sage,  marierom,  cammomile,  violets,  daisies, basil.”  “Lavander 
and  rosemarie  ”  were  specially  commended  for  edgings ;  Box,  because 
it  possessed  a  “  naughtie  ”  smell,  was  not  to  be  employed,  though  no 
-doubt  it  was  to  some  extent.  It  appears  to  have  been  commonly  the 
practice  to  use  only  two  kinds  of  plants  in  the  composition  of  knots, 
the  lines  forming  the  pattern  being  all  of  one  sort,  as  Lavender,  and 
the  spaces  with  some  dwarfer  plant,  such  as  Pennyroyal.  The  borders 
with  which  knots  were  occasionally  surrounded  were  planted  in  the 
same  manner,  but  with  a  greater  variety  of  plants.  All,  it  need 
hardly  be  added,  were  kept  closely  trimmed. 
That  knots  surrounded  with  borders  were  ever  popular  in  England 
is  now  difficult  to  determine — the  probability  is  that  they  were  not 
But  the  practice  of  forming  a  knot  in  the  centre  of  a  square  plot  of 
ground  was  undoubtedly  common.  The  space  enclosed  was  sometimes 
so  large  that  Roses,  Gooseberries,  “  or  anie  other  fruit  or  flower  that 
groweth  shrub- wise,  or  not  above  two  or  three  foot  above  the  earth,” 
were  included  in  the  ground  unoccupied  by  the  knot  itself.  The 
square  was  shut  out  from  the  rest  of  the  garden  by  means  of  a 
quickset  hedge  of  Thorn,  Privet,  or  Box,  kept  trimmed  to  a  height  of 
2  or  3  feet,  and  in  this  hedge  fruit  trees  were  sometimes  planted, 
or  the  boundary  might  be  composed  of  “  Prympe,  white  thorne, 
Eglantine,  and  sweet  briar”  mixed  together  and  iuterLced  through 
a  lattice-work  framework,  and  duly  cut  as  the  other  hedge.  A  still 
more  elaborate  fence  was  that  “carrying  the  proportions  of  Pyllasters- 
Flowers,  Shapes  of  Beasts,  Birdes,  Shippes,  &c.”  The  knot  in  all 
these  instaiices  formed  the  chief  and  central  object  of  what  may  be 
not  inappropriately  termed  a  girden  within  the  garden.  The  flat 
maze,  with  dividing  lines  of  Lavender  and  its  p.aths  of  Camomile,  was 
also  treated  in  the  same  manner. 
Here  it  may  be  remarked  that  some  modern  writers  on  old 
gardens  have  too  hastily  assumed  that  tall-growing  plants  iu 
variety — e.g..  Sweet  “  Sissely,”  “  Go-to-bed-at-Noone,”  Tulips,  Roses, 
Thorns,  and  such-like,  were  employed  in  the  knot  itself.  The  fact 
that  none  but  evergreen  subjects  was  admissible,  and  that  the 
stronger-growing  plants  used  for  edgings,  as  Rosemary  and  Lavender, 
were  cut  with  the  “  ordinarie  sheeres,”  and  the  “  smaller  and  lesse 
hearbes  ”  with  “sheeres  like  those  which  Taylors  use,”  would  be 
sufficient  without  the  details  of  the  kinds  of  plants  and  methods  of 
planting  to  show  how  incorrect  that  is. 
Figures,  foliations,  and  mottoes  came  to  be  shown  by  means  of 
coloured  earths  and  sands,  and  the  latter  was  also  use  1  for  the  little 
alleys  which  in  due  course  came  to  be  employed  instead  of  dividing 
lines,  and  thus  it  occurred,  no  doubt,  that  the  knot  became  absorbed 
in  the  partefre,  a  French  name  indicative  of  a  thing  divided. 
Parterres,  it  may  be  noted,  were  already  common  in  France  towards 
the  end  of  the  sixteenth  century. 
Those,  therefore,  who  have  a  hankering  after  old  forms  of  gardea 
design,  and  who  would  like  to  introduce  a  knot  into  their  grounds, 
may  be  assured  that  simple  combinations  were  the  most  ancient  in 
use,  that  aromatic  evergreen  vegetation  was  almost  solely  employed 
in  their  composition,  and  if  an  extension  of  the  ground  necessary  to 
the  knot  pr.iper  be  dedred,  the  space  may  well  be  enclosed  by  means 
of  a  low,  trimly  cut  hedge,  and  the  unoccupied  space  laid  out  with, 
other  beds,  to  be  filled  with  old-fashi  med  flowers,  which,  above  all, 
ought  to  be  primarily  chosen  for  their  “savour  dulce.” — B. 
Carnations  front 
Quantities  of  Carnation  plants  are  annually  raised  from  seeds, 
which  to  those  who  need  flowers  for  cutting  is  a  most  commendable 
practice.  Apart,  too,  from  the  wealth  of  blossoms  afforded,  there  is- 
considerable  interest  attached  to  wutching  the  unfolding  buds  of 
unknown  colours.  There  are  greater  or  lesser  numb  rs  of  single 
varieties,  according  to  the  quality  of  the  strain  procured ;  and  if  these 
have  no  merit  fur  vase  use,  their  foliage  can  be  cut  with  a  free  hand 
for  associating  with  the  double  ones  in  floral  arrangements,  no  other 
leaf  growth  being  so  fitting  for  the  purpose.  Those  of  marked 
character  can  be  perpetuated  from  cuttings  or  layers. 
This  much  can  bo  said  of  seedling  Carnations,  that  they  are  hardy, 
and  survive  cold  weather  when  layered  plants  succumb  to  it  subject  to 
the  same  conditions.  With  choice  named  varieties  growers  provide 
frame  room  for  carrying  them  safely  through  the  winter,  a  course  both 
justifiable  and  necessary.  With  seedlings  this  trouble  can  be  dispensed 
with,  and  the  plants  as  soon  as  they  are  of  sufficient  size  and  strength 
can  be  put  out  into  their  permanent  position,  either  direct  from  the 
seed  boxes,  or  later,  when  pricked  out  singly  into  others  to  gain 
strength  of  leaf  and  root.  The  state  of  the  weather  determines  the 
course  most  necessary ;  when  showery  quite  small  seedlings  may  be 
put  out  into  beds  or  borders  duly  prepared  by  digging  or  trenching 
and  manuring.  If  the  weather  is  ungenial,  then  an  alternative  course 
must  be  chosen. 
There  is  no  time  to  lose  in  ordering  seeds  for  immediate  sowing, 
which  should  in  every  case  be  conducted  under  glass  shelter  of  some 
kind,  without  forcing,  in  boxes,  pots,  or  pans.  What  is  of  much 
importance  is  the  selection  of  a  strain  both  reliable  and  choice. 
Unless  this  trouble  is  taken  disappointment  is  sure  to  be  rife  when 
the  flowering  season  comes  round.  In  this  there  is  not  much  to 
hesitate  over,  as  most  of  the  large  houses  claim  the  possession  of 
unsurpas-able  qualities  in  the  strain  they  offer.  Many  of  the  flowers 
may  not  come  up  to  the  florist’s  ideal  in  petal  perfection  and  colour 
marking,  but  they  serve  the  dual  purpose  of  the  border  and  house 
to  an  eminent  degree. 
I  have  a  lingering  memory  of  the  great  masses  of  flowers  that 
used  to  be  grown  at  Longleat  by  the  late  Mr.  Pratt,  and  many 
admiring  visitors  would  gladly  have  availed  themselves  of  a  stock  of 
cuttings  to  take  away  with  them.  During  their  season  these  seedling 
border  Carnations  were  one  of  the  features  of  the  garden,  and  Longleat, 
it  must  be  said,  possessed  many  in  flowers  and  fruits. — R.  A. 
