ENGLISH PLEASURE GARDENS.*
Tins is a book on which its author has bestowed much industry. It does not aim at giving garden instruction, but it is full of interesting information, and it is very readable. Its title, however, is misleading, as much of its contents have to do with gardens of foreign lands, beginning with Egyptian and Syrian gardens, and passing through Classical, Mediaeval, and Renaissance times down to those of the present day. The author cannot in such a work hope to escape the charge of book-making, but it is none the less interesting for that. It con- tains excellent descriptions of well-known gardens of historical fame, and Miss Nichols shows throughout that she possesses- good taste and real gardening interest. What she has. attempted she has done well, and the wealth of the illustra- tions, which number nearly three hundred reproductions of. original photographs and drawings by the author, not only delight the eye, but help the modern gardener to know what to aim at and what to avoid. Not that we always agree with her conclusions. Speaking of classical gardens, "hundreds, almost thousands, of years ago," she says, their " makers realised our ideals, combining architecture with sculpture and horticulture, to produce gardens unsurpassed in the perfection of their design." This we think is to underrate the beauties which are arrived at by a more careful following of Natum's own suggestions. No doubt our ancestors viewed Nature with more terror than love, and so planned their gardens as to- forget her as far as possible, only using certain features, such as woods and hills, to give emphasis or mystery to the artificial arrangement of the garden. To quote Le Blond, a famous, authority, writing in 1703, of whom Miss Nichols says *, English Pleasure Gardens. By Nose Standish Nichols. London ; Mac, Milian and Co. 117s. net.-I -
that be could not be improved • on either in matter ' or manner, we read :--" If there be no Prospect, but on the contrary you have a Mountain, Hill, Forest, or Wood that by their vicinity deprive ' you of that Pleasure you may then edge the 'Parterre with Hedges and Groves to hide those ill-favoured objects." Now, no doubt, a hill or wood can come too close to a garden, but to place a hedge or grove so as to "hide those ill-favoured objects" is certainly to have a very different appreciation of Nature's beauties from that which the best 'landscape gardeners would have now. But tastes differ, and the great gardens of past ages have their special beauties.
It is interesting to trace the ideas which led to garden developments. For instance, long before the Christian era Egyptian houses had courtyards round them containing both useful and,ornamental vegetation. "Originally a row of trees along the inner wall of the building shaded it and the enclosed quadrangle. Later the trees gave place to solid columns, and the overhanging branches to projecting rafters,"—and so, Miss Nichols infers, we arrive at the sugges- tion of the Greek peristyle and the monastic cloisters. From the eighth to the third century before Christ, we are told, Egyptian horticulture flourished greatly, and Pliny in his Natural History recognises the Syrians as great gardeners. These Eastern gardens were very elaborate, and the Babylonian hanging gardens were among the seven wonders of the world. The early Greek gardens were far more simple, "much like a modern orchard or kitchen garden," though later on they became more elaborate. Gardens entered largely into the life of the Athenians, and many of the philosophers owned famous gardens. "As to my garden, the walk, and the houses adjacent to the garden," says Theophrastus in his will, "I give them to those of my friends mentioned below who desire to devote themselves in common to study and philosophy therein." This is the true spirit of a garden, and in the practical side of gardening we modern gardeners are apt to leave little time for leisured enjoyment of our domains. We tend to be always altering, or improving, or looking ahead to the future work we intend to do when autumn or spring days bring round the seasons for planting.
Among the " distinguished flowers of antiquity" we read of the narcissus, anemone, gladiolus, iris, poppy, amaranth, immortelle, verbena, periwinkle, and crocus, besides the rose, the lily, and the violet.. Whether all these were the same plants as we now recognise under these names is doubtful ; but Pliny mentions nasturtium and mallow,. and it is difficult to think he could have meant other flowers by these than the ones we know. The lovers of the yellow Persian rose will be interested to hear that it is supposed to have been introduced into Europe in the eighth century; but when Miss Nichols speaks of "the rose and the lily, both flowers of Oriental origin," we begin to fear that her information on other garden subjects may not wholly be trusted. Certainly the rose is a native of many parts of Europe, including England, though perhaps Miss Nichols is not willing to imagine that a common dog-rose in the hedge is a far-away ancestor of many of the more splendid garden roses.
From classical and early monastic gardens we are brought down to mediaeval and Tudor examples, and English gardens begin to become more prominent. But even then French influence was predominant. England in those days had sterner work to do than could find expression in flowers and songs. It was not till the comparative peace of the Tudor reigns had bad time to take effect that England was able to change her castles into manor-houses and her swords into garden tools. It was only by degrees that garden defence was not a very real consideration. "Battlements, moats, and other defensive accessories" were still retained in connection with gardens, not perhaps so much to defend the inmates from a neighbouring foe as to preserve the trees and plants "from severe winds and the depredations of marauders." No doubt the walled kitchen- garden survives from the time when garden robbers abounded, and no one then would have dreamed that luscious fruit could be safely left protected by nothing but low hedges and un- locked gates. For these mediaeval pleaaaunces abounded with fruit Peaches, medlars, quinces, and chestnuts were among those grown. Strawberries are mentioned "as well known to the .Anglo-Saxons," and England was always famous
for her • cherry 'orchards.' Topiary work was also used in mediaeval gardens, although it became far more developed later on. Indeed, our ancestors seem to have treated their gardens far more architecturally than we do now, though there are signs of a return to this in gardens the size of which do not actually demand. architectural treatment. Miss Jekyll has devoted much attention to dry walls, wells, and stone steps in one of her delightful books. It is, however, more from the point of view of . these architectural features being used as mediums for flowers that she has spoken. In themselves walls and stonework of all kinds are not very suitable for gardens of modest pretensions. A splendid castle or mansion may properly demand that the part of the garden adjoining the house itself should partake of its stateliness, and low copings round formal parterre gardens and fine topiary work have their merits in gradually leading the eye from man's handiwork to that of Nature. But in gardens of more modest pretensions the less stonework is used for the sake of stonework the better. An. old wall can be made a feature of great beauty, but if built solely as an architectural feature it is apt to be questioned as to its reason for existing. If the garden is one of differing levels, then walls are far preferable to banks, partly as giving an opportunity of growing flowers on them, which in time will come to hide the wall itself. Bookwork stands in a different position. Even in the smallest garden it has its use as being practically the only means whereby small Alpine plants needing individual attention can be cultivated. No doubt it is very difficult to arrange a rock garden so that it shall look natural. Still, it can be done in almost all gardens by taking great pains to utilise any natural rise of ground. Many gardeners have to level their tennis grounds, and a very successful, if small, rockwork can be made against the banks that form the levels. Thensome gardens have natural dips in them, and these will make dells for rockwork which Alpine plants will much valuer as they will be protected from draughts and sheltered from the fiercer sunshine. Fortunately in these modern days we are not so much tied and bound by tradition as our ancestors were. In gardens individual taste is allowed full play, and. whether that taste leads to formal gardens, which have the authority, of Mr. William Morris and other well-known masters of taste, or to the wild garden advocated by Mr. W. Robinson, who has done so much to revive the love of garden- ing, it is the fault of the owners themselves if any garden, be it great or small, has not its own special beauty.
We must congratulate the author on the excellent index and comprehensive bibliography, which add much to the usefulness of the book. There is also an appendix entirely devoted to Anglo-Saxon horticulture which more learned readers will appreciate.
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