"According to the situations of men's dwellings, so are the situations
of their gardens. And, although divers do diversely prefer their own
several places which they have chosen, or wherein they dwell; as some
those places that are near unto a river or brook to be best for the
pleasantness of the water, the ease of transportation of themselves,
their friends and goods, as also for the fertility of the soil, which
is seldom near unto a river's side; and others extol the side or top of
an hill, be it small or great, for the prospect's sake. And again, some
the plain or champian ground for the even level thereof. Yet to show
you for every of these situations which is the fittest place to plant
your garden in and how to defend it from the injuries of the cold winds
and frosts that may annoy it, I hope be well accepted.
"To prescribe one form for every man to follow were too great
presumption and folly; for every man will please his own fancy, be
it orbicular or round, triangular or three-square, quadrangular or
four-square, or more long than broad. Let every man choose which him
liketh best. The four-square form is the most usually accepted with all
and doth best agree to any man's dwelling. To form it therefore with
walks cross the middle both ways and round about it also with hedges,
knots or trayles, or any other work within the four-square parts is
according to every man's conceit. For there may be therein walls either
open or close, either public or private, a maze or wilderness, a rock
or mount with a fountain in the midst to convey water to every part of
the garden either in pipes under the ground, or brought by hand and
emptied into large cisterns or great Turkey jars placed in convenient
places. Arbors also being both graceful and necessary may be appointed
in such convenient places as the corners, or elsewhere, as may be most
fit to serve both for shadow and rest after walking.
"To border the whole square to serve as a hedge thereunto everyone
taketh what liketh him best, as either privet alone, or sweetbriar
and whitethorn enlaced together and roses of one, or two, or more
sorts, placed here and there amongst them. Some also take lavender,
rosemary, sage, southernwood, lavender-cotton, or some such thing. Some
again plant Cornell trees and plash them, or keep them low to form
into a hedge. And some again take a low prickly shrub that abideth
always green called in Latin _Pyracantha_, which in time will make an
evergreen hedging, or border, and when it beareth fruit, which are red
berries like unto hawthorn berries, make a glorious show among the
green leaves in winter time when no other shrubs have fruit, or leaves."
For the borders of the knots, Parkinson recommends thrift, hyssop and
germander, but "chiefly above all herbs the small low, or dwarf French
or Dutch box, because it is evergreen, thick and easily cut and formed."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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