How to Lay Out a Garden

CHAPTER II.-GENERAL OBJECTS.

1. Economy of Plan; of Execution; of Keeping

2. Shelter by Walls; by Hedges; by Mounds of Earth; by planta-

tions; from Sea-breezes.

AGE

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133

3. Approaches to a House: to be concealed from the Windows and the

Pleasure-Garden; to present a good View of the House; not to

pass the House and return to it; to be direct; to start from a

bend of the outside road, or at right angles with it; to commence

at an oblique angle with the outer road where there are two

entrances; to have a gradual Ascent; to follow the natural undu-

lations of the ground generally; to be in easy Curves; where

Avenues will be suitable; Entrance-door of House to be covered

from outside Road; large Sweeps of Gravel to be avoided; form

of Carriage Sweeps; Entrance-Courts; Access to Servants' Apart-

ments to be kept separate .

4. Treatment of Walks: not to follow the Boundary Fence; to embrace

particular Views; to take a variety of Levels; to be hidden from

each other; to have a definite Object; not to turn aside from

their Course without a sufficient Reason; to separate from each

other with an outward Curve; not to be intruded on by Shrubs;

Ease and Freedom (not Regularity) in Curves desirable; to have

flat edgings

5. Fences: Sunk Walls; Fences sloping outwards on the edge of arti-

ficial hollows; Iron Fences in hollows; Iron or Wooden open

Fences on low Walls; Split-oak Palings; Walls or close Palings;

Walls with Hedges behind them; Hedges; Iron-hurdles ; Wire

Fences; Continuous Fences; Rustic Wooden Fences; Rabbit

Fences; protection for Single Trees; Colour of Fences

6. Outlines of Beds and Masses: to be varied in the design, and still

more so by Planting; Masses rather than Lines to be sought; to

be treated separately, and in relation to others

7. Sky outline of Plantations: to be very irregularly yet softly broken;

usefulness of Spiry Plants; Masses of Plantation straggling over

the Summits and Slopes of Hills; to be placed lengthwise up the

face of a hill, and not across it

8. Flowers chiefly to be in detached beds and masses

9. Flower-borders to be kept towards the outside of the Pleasure-

Garden, and by the margins of the walks in more private parts;

for herbaceous plants.

10. Specimen plants: to be freely cultivated in small places; error of
treating all plants as specimens, especially in boundary Plantations ibid.

11. Undergrowth: places in which it is necessary; plants fitted for

creating it; Thickets

12. Evergreens chiefly to be preferred in small places: some of the most

ornamental kinds; best and most useful sorts of low deciduous

trees

13. Soil in beds and masses to be raised above the level of the grass, and

ultimately turfed over

14. Architectural gardening: its intimate connexion with garden archi-

tecture; province of the latter; its peculiarities; proper sphere

of architectural gardening; incongruities and defects; its dis-

tinctive features; desirable accessories; practical application of

its principles; form of terrace walls; mode of masking changes

CHAPTER III.-PARTICULAR OBJECTS.

204

1. Influence of little things on Design and Execution, to maintain an

expression of taste

2. Mounds and Banks: their Uses and Treatment; Naturalness to be

aimed at; Variety in Shape; Gentle Undulation of Surface; plan

and sections; Blending with the general level at their base;

Proper way of Planting and Turfing along the front of them. . 205

3. Trees suited to particular styles of buildings and places: Round-
headed trees, and such as have large and clustering leaves, adapted
to Gothic architecture; Flat-headed or upright Plants, with small
and slender leaves, appropriate to Grecian architecture; illustra-
tions; Adaptation of Trees to the outline of buildings; Trees for
framing and supporting buildings, as pictures; want of trees and
shrubs about entrance front of Blenheim Palace, and about the
large bridge in Blenheim Park; similar want of trees to support
Windsor Castle

4. Masses of particular plants for effect as to form and colour: Varieties
fitted for carrying out this system.

5. Shadows from Trees: Arrangement with respect to them; Lights
and Shadows a great beauty in a landscape; Shadows best on the
western side of a place

6. Covered ways, Wire Temples, Trellises, Verandahs, and other sup-

ports for Climbing plants

7. Flower-beds to be filled with low potted Evergreens in the winter :

Sorts of Evergreens fitted for the purpose

8. Substitutes for Grass beneath Trees: Ivy, Periwinkles, &c.

. ibid.

9. Hedge-rows Best form in which to trim them; Modes of treating

and diversifying them so as to soften boundary lines; illustration

of this; Sorts of plants most suitable for Hedges

10. Cutting and clipping plants into particular shapes, for formal

gardens: Regular forms, not fancy figures, to be adopted; Cutting

to be done with a knife and not with shears; Kinds of plants

best adapted for this purpose

11. Temporary shelter: For newly planted things, from Sun or Wind ;

by common and rapid growing plants as Nurses;" by Hurdles

wattled with reeds, laths, furze, &c.

12. Edgings for Walks and Flower-beds: Grass; Box; Stones, Bricks,

or Tiles; Thrift, Heath, &c.; Edgings for Beds of Dwarf Shrubs ;

Edgings of Trees kept dwarf; of Shrubs, or peculiar Flowers for

Flower-beds; Wire or Wooden Edgings for ditto

CHAPTER IV.-SPECIAL DEPARTMENTS.

1. Park, Field, or Paddock : always to be treated as a park; to be

planted with single Trees and Groups; Plants suited for speci-

mens; great value of Thorns, Hollies, and other bushes; forma-

tion of Glades and Groups; shaping the Ground; Shrubbery

Walks, and modes of rendering them interesting; Sheep, Cows,

and Deer to enliven the Park; Rookeries; treatment of public

Footpaths across a place; examples of Parks and Fields.

228

2. Flower-garden; to be on the warmest and best side of the house, or

in a sheltered and sunny corner of the Pleasure Grounds; Beds

to be simple, symmetrical, and fit well into each other; Divisions
may be of Grass, or Gravel with Box or Stone edgings; Styles in
which either of these is preferable; to be varied and adorned by
specimen plants; to have a regular outline; to have the beds
fitted for displaying flowers; examples of flower-gardens, in
different styles, for various positions, and with many kinds of
accompaniments; specimen of flower-garden and Rose garden
combined; separation of flower-beds into sections of one colour ;
parterres of coloured stone, and the proper position for them

8. Rock or Fern Garden: requires to be secluded; partially shaded;

of natural material and construction; Proper Plants as accom-

paniments; to have an object or meaning, if possible; roots and

stumps of trees as substitutes for rocks.

. . 272

4. Rose Garden: to be detached, sheltered, sunny; of some regular

shape; the Beds to be easily accessible; Grass divisions best;

242

diversified with single Standard and Climbing sorts; Masses of
one kind and colour; archways or temples for climbing sorts;
Rose-house for tender kinds; plans and descriptions; list of
Hollies to accompany a Rosery; arrangement of Roses in beds or
borders by the sides of a straight walk

5. Pinetum to be arranged in groups, with comparatively few speci

mens; eligible position for it; example of the mode of grouping

Pines and Firs; plants to be all placed on little hillocks; kinds

best fitted for groups

6. Winter Garden: an irregular collection of evergreens; an

"Ameri-

can" garden; a plot laid out in formal beds, and filled with ever-
greens of various heights, colours, &c. ; plants adapted for beds,
for specimens, and for edgings to beds; growth of some of the
larger evergreens may be restrained by planting them in tubs, or
by pruning; beds should be separated by grass, or, if by gravel,
have stone edgings

7. Bowling Green: best size and shape; specimen of a circular one,

with a low terrace bank around it; mode of making; sodding

8. Water should be pure, clear, and at least partly open to the Sun;

simple forms best in small places: how to vary and plant the

outline; plants adapted for the Margins or for Islands; flowering

Shrubs useful in Masses, for being mirrored in water; shaping

and diversifying the banks; aquatic plants; modes of supplying

fresh water; streams; making lakes by damming up hollows, in

the course of streams; way to form dams; overflows; planting

embankments; examples of natural treatment; specimen of a

more artificial style; sloping the banks, pitching, and sodding;

grouping plants on the margins; water-birds; bridges; boat-

houses; ice-houses

9. Arbours: Summer-houses; Covered Seats; Dryness, Cleanness, and

avoidance of any encouragement to Insects to be attained in their

materials and construction; Temporary Bowers; Lime-tree

281

10. Statuary; Vases; Porte-fleurs; hints as to the subjects and treat-

ment of Sculptured Figures; Plaster Figures; Artificial Stone,

Iron, and Zinc Vases: Position and Style best adapted for them. 306

11. Green-houses and Conservatories: Position; Aspect; Character;

Introduction of Sculptured Figures; wood, stone, or iron for their
framework; Treatment of Roofs; Proper Colour; Floors; Span-
roofed Greenhouses; Interior arrangement and fittings; Stages;
Illustrations; Places for Climbers; Borders and beds; Plans;
Provision for Suspending Plants; Wire baskets; Heating Appa-
ratus; Cistern; Ventilation; Group of plant-houses; Fruit-houses;

PAGE

Orchard-houses; Pits and Frames; Series of plant and fruit-

12. Kitchen Garden: to be behind the house, and near the stables; to

have a regular outline; Walks straight and at right angles; Walls

and their heights; Borders; Position for Fruit Trees; Espaliers;

Supply of Water; Yard for Compost, Sheds, and Rubbish; Out-

side Slip; Drainage; desirable Slope; Flower-beds or Borders

through the centre in special cases; examples; Orchards

13. Aviaries; Apiaries; Grottoes

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335

14. Lodges and Entrances their position and character; examples of

different kinds of entrances; double lodges

15. Sea-side Gardens: Grass, in a variety of terrace-banks, to abound

in them; specimen of desirable treatment, and section

16. Town or suburban Gardens: to be arranged very simply and with

great regularity; rows of beds and plants effective; grass and

evergreens most valuable; gardens to rows of houses; illustra

tions

17. Villages and Village Gardens: rural and simple character to be pre-

served; cottages should be partly in clusters and groups; several

gardens may be united into one, at the front; suitable accom-

paniments; notice of Daylesford village

18. Compact Combination of Parts in a Place: illustrations and descrip-

tions

359

PART IV.

PRACTICAL DIRECTIONS.

1. Drainage its effect on the temperature of ground; to be deep;
Materials for common and Main Drains; tiles, pipes, and rubble
stone; sections of Drains; good Outfall necessary; Trenching to
follow it; Places that do not need drainage

2. Levelling Hedge-rows: preserving Hedge-row Trees and Bushes;
retaining sufficient earth about their roots; planting to throw
them into groups in the park

3. Formation of Roads and Walks to be dry; well rounded and

drained at the bottom; with Gratings and Lodges for Water in

hollows; Section of ground formation; section of lodge or cess-

pool; mode of constructing lodges; Nature and Quality of materials

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379

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How to Lay Out a Garden: Intended as a General Guide in Choosing, Forming ...