From the portions of the site of the old moat that are now grass, a turf
slope rises to a height of about eight feet. On the upper level is a
gravel walk, and beyond it a yew hedge about four feet high, with
ornaments of peacocks cut in it at the principal openings, and of ball
and such-like forms at other apertures. This is on the level of the main
parterre. A wide gravel path divides the garden into two equal portions,
swinging round in the middle space to give place to a circular
grass-plot with a sundial.
This beautiful place offers so few details that can be adversely
criticised that these few are the more noticeable. The sundial has a
handsome shaft, but should stand upon a much wider step. The
introduction of pyramid fruit-trees at concentric points, both here and
in other parts of the design, is an experiment of doubtful value, that
will probably never add to the pictorial value of the design. The garden
critic may also venture to suggest that the pergola, which is well
placed at the eastern end of the parterre, deserves better piers than
its posts of fir. Here would be the place for some simple use of
specially made bricks, such as a pier hexagonal in plan built of bricks
of two shapes, diamond and triangle, two inches thick, with a wide
mortar joint. Each course would take two bricks of each shape, and their
disposition, alternating with each succeeding course, would secure an
admirable bond.
The great parterre has main divisions of grass paths twelve feet wide,
each subdivision--four on each side of the cross-walk and sundial--of
eight three-sided beds disposed Union-Jack-wise, with bordering beds
stopped by a clipped Box-bush at each end. Narrow grass walks are
between the beds. The borders are roomy enough to accommodate some of
the largest of the good hardy flowers, for the garden is given to these,
not to “bedding stuff.” Here are some of the tall perennial Sunflowers,
eight feet high; the great autumn Daisy (_Pyrethrum uliginosum_); bushes
of Lavender with Pentstemons growing through them--a capital
combination, doing away with the need of staking the Pentstemons; the
last of the Phloxes; for the time of the picture, which was painted in
this part of the garden, is September.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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