Зображення сторінки
PDF
ePub

road should be seen from the house; its colour as well as the objects occasionally driving on it enliven the uniformly green hue of the park. It is equally worthy of consideration, that the road should not command a view of the pleasuregrounds, nor approach the sitting-rooms in front of the house. An occasional view of the house between trees has a good effect, and from other parts of the road a full view, or as good a prospect of the mansion as possible should be presented, that the first impression may be favourable; this may be deemed taking the visitor by surprise, but it is justifiable, as a good exterior is considered evidence of an agreeable interior, and if any object on the approach appear crude or insignificant, an increased exertion of art will be required to subdue any unfavourable effects which may have been excited.*.

From the house there must always be a main walk, from appropriate points of which others should branch to the several parts of the garden, park, &c. and should be so disposed as not to command a view into any of the rooms. Gravel-walks should be rarely seen from the windows; where the extent of the grounds will admit, they should be dispersed among the plantations with occasional openings upon different views: the great art in this depends upon judiciously directing the windings of the walks, and varying the views of artificial and natural objects, so that the spectator may not be aware that he is at times nearly retracing the ground he has previously passed; thus a greater extent will be made to appear than really exists. Wherever paths are turned they should lead to the beauties of the scenery. Hilly or mountainous walks should have gradual and regular ascents, at times amidst broken rocks, interspersed with Alpine shrubs, then winding through the umbrageous plantations to the sequestered vale, treading the banks of a gentle stream, embellished with appropriate plants, then towards some statuary figure on the border of a shady grove, or to a temple dedicated to Peace, to a cascade, or where a river falls and foams along its rocky bed. In short, such walks should be judiciously directed, and lead wherever any object may be seen to excite admiration, or tranquillize the mind to calm reflection. A scene like this produced the following effusion :—

"Here, the transport most allied to song,
Is in some villa's peaceful bound,

To catch soft hints from nature's tongue,
And bid Arcadia bloom around.

Whether we fringe the sloping hill,
Or smooth below the verdant mead;
Whether we break the falling rill,
Or through meandering mazes lead.

Oh! let some sheltered lake serene,
Reflect the groves and brighten all the scene."

One of the most pleasing appendages to a villa is the flower-garden; it is perhaps calculated to encourage a taste for the beauties of nature, and is one of the most rational, healthful, and agreeable of pursuits. "It is the purest of human pleasure," says Lord Bacon. The situation of this delightful retreat should not be distant from the house; it should be of easy access, and so situated that it may be surrounded by a plantation for the purpose of shelter and retirement; it may sometimes, with good effect, be made to range with a conservatory attached to the residence, but this must depend on the position of the mansion, and the form of the adjacent grounds; it is an additional gratification to step from the conservatory into the flower-garden.+

The kitchen-garden is an appendage to a country mansion of such utility and importance, that it deserves the utmost attention. In selecting a suitable spot, it should be so situated that it does not interfere with or obstruct any of the views from the front of the house; it will, in general, be better situated towards the back of the house for the convenience of a free communication with the domestic offices, as well as for its arrangement with the surrounding scenery. It is inconvenient to place it too distant from the house; it should, if possible, be made to arrange with the shrubberies which are attached to the pleasure-ground. In some situations it may be found necessary that the kitchen-garden should have a plantation round the whole as a screen; in such cases it

* The best manner of making those roads we shall describe. The system long adhered to of making a foundation to the depth of nearly three feet, the lower part being filled with coarse materials to act as drainage, renders paths pervious to water, and the consequence is, that after heavy dews or partial rain they are in such a state of humidity as not to be walked upon with comfort. In the winter season, the wet weather which frequently precedes a hard frost, saturates the walks, the frost penetrates, and when a thaw takes place they become rotten to the foundation, and are rendered quite impassable. This evil is not only remedied, but much expense for materials and labour saved by adopting the following rules. Take from the line of the intended walk eight inches of the earth, then fill it up with coarse good binding gravel, and if there be large stones among it, they should be broken into pieces of about an inch square, the whole should be firmly beaten down, after which the surface may be loosened with a rake; about one inch in depth of fine gravel should then be laid on and well rolled; if the foundation be imbedded in a layer of chalk it becomes more adhesive, and by taking care to lay the walk so that the water may be conducted to particular parts, and thence carried off by drains, the surface will be rendered firm, clear, and dry. Roads and walks thus constructed will be in every respect more satisfactory than those made upon the old system.-(B.)

When the ground allotted for the flower-garden is of such extent as to admit of some portion being grass and shrubs, an uneven surface may be made to exhibit effects truly delightful; and where it is small, and intended only for flower-beds, a gentle declivity presents opportunities to increase the beauties of the variegated blooms of heart-delighting nature. Particular care should be taken against an excess of moisture.-(Author.)

[ocr errors]

should be at such a distance from the garden as to admit of the walls being planted on both sides with fruit-trees; it should afford shelter, but exclude neither sun nor air,* and if the trees on the shady side are allowed to run their branches above the walls, all those parts will produce abundance of fruit, while those parts against the wall will produce comparatively very little.

The most appropriate place for the stables and coach-houses will be at the west, and at the rear of the house, not far from the kitchen-garden; they should neither be at too great a distance from the mansion, with a pathway direct from the servants' offices, and be concealed among trees; though to have some part of the summits seen peering above the foliage will give importance to the mansion, and produce a picturesque effect.

Farm-houses, if suitably constructed and ornamented, may certainly be included within the decorations of an estate; they are necessary appendages, and may justly be considered as forming an interesting part of the rural scenery. Where a farm is upon a small scale, and is retained in the hands of the owner for private cultivation, the farm-house and buildings may join the park, and still be rendered agreeable objects of interest to the scenery. Where the neighbouring lands are held by tenants, it is not objectionable for one or more farm-houses to be in view from parts of the park: while their appearance denotes utility, they can never become objectionable.†

RETROSPECTION.

The outlines of park plantations, made with a view to utility and the adornment of a country residence, are guided by the same principles, whether the trees are to be disposed in regular forms avowedly artificial, or in forms in imitation of nature. The first thing in both modes is to compose a principal mass from which the rest should appear to proceed, and seem to be connected. In common cases it answers best to include or connect with this mass the house, kitchen, and flower-gardens; from these, other masses and groups should proceed, either connected or seemingly so, when viewed horizontally. Their forms should be such, and so disposed relatively to the ground and other objects, and to each other, as to throw the pasture surface into broad masses, which become shades in their turn, and their connection and variation is heightened by the variety in the glades between the masses and groups of plantations. Such would be the mode of procedure on a flat to be formed into a modern park.

The quality of the soil for a kitchen-garden must be particularly observed: this, it is true, may be improved by art, but it will be impossible to improve a bad situation. An ample depth of good soil is very important, and should it not be sufficient, a considerable expenditure must be incurred to render it so; the depth of good soil should be at least two feet, the most desirable is a black vegetable earth, or a rich free-working loam, not tenacious of wet. Should a desirable situation present itself as to aspect and general convenience, and the soil not be found of so tractable a nature as could be wished, or should a garden be already formed on an improper spot, then it will be requisite that the designer or person conducting the ground-work, should be conversant with the nature and treatment of soils generally, their chemical properties, and the best methods of correcting such as are bad. The kitchen-gardens of England were so scantily supplied with vegetables until about the end of the sixteenth century, as the pleasure-grounds and pastures were with shrubs and flowers. It was not till the end of the reign of Henry VIII. that any sallads, carrots, turnips, or other edible roots were produced in England; the little vegetables that were used were imported from Holland and Flanders. Queen Catherine, when she wanted a sallad, was obliged to dispatch a messenger thither on purpose. (Hume's History of England.) Their fruits, indeed, were neither numerous nor excellent, being chiefly confined to gooseberries, currants, and strawberries; what apples and pears they had were generally indifferent, and their plums and cherries bad; although the latter are supposed to have been planted in this country so early as the year 800, at which time they were brought from Italy. Broccoli, asparagus, and celery, were also brought to this country from Italy. Cauliflower from Cyprus, and spinage from Spain, all in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. That esculent root, the potato, did not make its appearance in Europe till Sir Walter Raleigh, a native of Devonshire, brought it, towards the close of the sixteenth century from America to Ireland, in which country it was first cultivated at Lesmore Castle, the present seat of his Grace the Duke of Devonshire. From thence it passed by slow degrees over to Scotland and the northern counties of England, and has since become general throughout Great Britain. The person who first planted them, imagining that the apple which grows on the stalk was to be used, gathered them, but not liking the taste neglected the roots, till the ground being dug afterwards for some other grain, the potatoes were discovered therein, and to the great surprise of the planter, vastly increased. For a long time after its introduction into this country, it was only placed in the gardens of the nobility, and it was looked upon rather as a curious exotic than a useful addition to our vegetable productions. In 1619, when its cultivation had become more general, its common market price was one shilling per pound.-(Beckman, vol. i. p. 334.)

Ben Johnson in his play, Every Man out of his Humour, Act ii. mentions potatoes then as a great rarity.-(Author.)

+ Many farm-houses with extensive unconnected outbuildings in the old English style, do not accord well with modern park scenery, but as great improvements have recently taken place in the arrangement of these establishments, they may generally be considered an interesting and enlivening portion of distant scenery; they present a contrast to the cultivated and decorated scenes surrounding the seat, and will always be viewed with peculiar feelings of satisfaction, as the habitations are among the most valuable of a well-regulated society.—(Author.)

PLATE LVIII.

PLEASURE-GROUNDS, PARK PLANTING, AND DECORATIVE SCENERY.

"Does airy fancy cheat,

My mind well pleased with the deceit?

I seem to hear, I seem to move,

And wander through the happy grove,

Where smooth springs flow, and murmuring breeze,
Wantons through the waving trees."-CREECH.

WHO is insensible to the tasteful outline of the well-grouped plantation, to finely shorn grass, having shrubs and trees tastefully dispersed upon it; to the walk gracefully winding through the grove to some sequestered spot, assuming the appearance of neglected nature, where the purling stream murmurs through the thicket with its soothing notes reverberating and softened amidst the trees, until through the vista opening on the decorated scenery the eye is gratified and the heart delighted? The shrubberies are the most prominent features in rendering a country seat an object of ornament and delight, and it is in this department of laying out and planting, combined with taste, and a skilful appropriation of the ground, that an extensive practical knowledge is required to produce all the desired effect, not only for the judicious arrangement of the plantations, but of the various trees of which they are composed, and demands the exercise of true taste, that the component parts may be suitably disposed, as well in contrasts of form as of colour, so that they may appear to advantage when viewed individually or collectively.*

Part of the mansion may be seen from a summer-house in the pleasure-grounds with good effect, particularly if it be seen at a moderate distance, and between the boughs of trees, which, by the opposition of colour, will improve the glance at the house, and also excite pleasing ideas of home, comfort, and the charms of rural elegance. Vases and statues tastefully disposed about the pleasure-grounds belonging to classic architecture have a pleasing effect, and in extensive shrubberies the arrangement of statues and busts, if numerous, should be directed by classic taste, that they may be disposed with propriety and truth; no greater absurdity can appear than where such decorations are indiscriminately mixed, without literary order or classical associations. Those, observes Stewart, have added immensity to our natural resources: but at the same time, they have warped our taste in various instances.. The prospect of a sheet of water seen through a vista claims attention; but if with these there be any undulating surface of ground, with a temple placed on a gentle rising hill surrounded by appropriate foliage, the scene is rendered particularly beautiful and romantic. The mind receives pleasing impressions of wonder and delight while witnessing the liquid element gushing between rocks, which sparkle with a diamond lustre as they fall, the cloudy spray reflecting in the soft and blended colours of the rainbow; then dashing with furious irregularity over bold projections and stupendous rocks: such a scene as this must be presented principally natural, but much may be done artificially to add to its grandeur; where such an object exists, the character of the sublime and picturesque in the surrounding scene must be maintained. Here masses of luxuriant trees surround the eminence, some projecting over the precipice, some bending midway, as if by magic power upheld; others dip their verdant foliage in the foam below, and the stately oak in wild magnificence, curves its bold roots amid the rocks, and stretching its huge arms, completes this scene of grandeur and sublimity. Planting, with a reference to park scenery, must depend in a great measure on the nature and contour of the surface. Where there is a variety of convex and concave, of hill and dale, fine effects may be produced by judiciously planting the hills, and leaving open the valleys for more pleasing contrasts ; but this must be regulated by a judicious and refined taste. No formal group perched upon the top of a hill, no masses that might give the appearance of a wilderness should be seen; a flowing line united with a lightness of effect should be preserved throughout.†

In forming plantations near the house, either to hide the offices or form ornamental groups, there should always be dispersed among them a great portion of evergreen shrubs, to preserve a lively and interesting appearance as well in winter as in summer. Although green turf is very pleasing and ornamental upon a lawn, still a large surface requires trees, decorative flowering shrubs, and plants to relieve the monotony of its appearance, and render the scene more pleasing and interesting; care must be taken to leave uncovered a sufficient portion of lawn for turf, as shall admit a free circulation of air and breadth of light, to display the form and effect of the surrounding plantations. Alleys leading to shady walks should be formed between the trees and shrubs. Vistas, which guide the eye to artificial objects or to distant beauties, should be particularly attended to; the characteristics of a pleasure-ground should be elegance, variety, and harmony, by judicious contrasts in the distribution of partial flower-beds, shrubs, and plantations, with other tasteful and appropriate decorations.-(B.)

+ The disposal of trees in a park, either singly or in groupes, should be regulated by the views from the principal apartments of the house, so as to avoid obstructing any desirable scenery. A few trees may, consistently with beauty, be dispersed singly, but when they are grouped they should present no regular form, nor be crowded into masses; however they be planted, they should partake of what is considered rural beauty and artless simplicity, which constitute the most lovely scenes of nature.-(B.)

PLATE LIX.

IMPROVING GROUNDS AROUND A NOBLEMAN'S MANSION.

"Where the united plumage of an ancient wood extended wide its undulating canopy, and stood venerable in darkness, Kent thinned the foremost rank, and left but so many detached and scattered trees as softened the approaching gloom, and blended the chequered light with the thus lengthened shadows of the remaining columns."-WALPOLE's Anecdotes.

THE character of the park should be grandeur, possessing extensive views, and ornamented with well-grouped trees, which must be accommodated to the line of surface that nature has furnished, to form a picturesque effect; the arrangement of objects should wear an easy irregularity in their outline; a lightness and airiness should pervade those in the foreground, and rude masses be opened to give forms suited to the prevailing character of the scene. Unless the beauty and grandeur which objects separately possess appear to the observer, there is a faulty and injurious arrangement. A good back-ground to a mansion is of great importance, and should in all cases be obtained if practicable, as no house can have an impressive and interesting appearance without it. A plantation thus situated, not only affords protection to the house, but assists considerably in relieving and supporting the effect of the scene. It must be evident that a promiscuous group of foliage is not the most suitable decoration for any particular spot; the infinite variety of outline that may be produced implies various degrees of perfection; for instance, if trees approximating in character and in tint of foliage be adopted, what is denominated a clump will be the inevitable result, and such a leading outline it will be in vain to attempt correcting by contrast in the shrubbery, only by laying the axe partially to the roots of the tasteless mass.*

The union of the fore-ground with the offscape, characteristically considered, produces great additional beauty; hills, distant woods and mountains, present variously enriched lines, which mark the boundary of vision. Where these forms partake of the broken or rough character, the fore-ground should assume the picturesque by irregularity of surface and appropriate planting. Where the distant lines are blended into soft or flowing forms, the graceful slope, or flowering lawn, will best harmonize, and, in either case, render the scene more desirable as the principal view from the mansion. A river running near a mansion imparts solemnity and grandeur, and if the banks approach each other so as consistently to admit of a bridge, which could be seen to advantage from the house, so many pleasing sensations are there connected with such an object, that it should be constructed with due regard to its character. Who ever beheld the grand and powerful effect of water at Blenheim and the noble bridge there, without emotions of surprise and admiration, or that at Compton Verney by the same great artist? Having treated on roads in our plan of Laying out Ground, we shall subjoin the late Mr. Repton's rules to be observed in laying out park-roads, as to their character, in a note below.†

It is bad taste to plant in a form similar to the object intended to be hidden. It is also desirable to vary the forms of plantations as they recede or advance; by this the most pleasing effects may be produced. The principles of perspective will here be as applicable as in drawing from nature; by this, single trees and groups may be so disposed as to assist in giving an appearance of extent; here also the colours of the foliage are to be particularly attended to, and arranged so as to harmonize, and to aid the assumed increase of extent; the effect which may be thus produced is admirable, and may be considered one of the triumphs of the art of landscapegardening.-(M.)

The road by which a stranger is supposed to pass through the park or lawn to the house, is called an approach, and there seems the same relation betwixt the approach and the house externally as there is internally; therefore it ought to be convenient, interesting, and in strict harmony with the character and situation of the mansion to which it belongs.

In the modern style, it ought to be a road to the house, and to that principally.

Secondly, although not naturally the nearest road possible, it ought artificially to be made impossible to go a nearer way.
Thirdly, the artificial obstacles which make this road the nearest ought to appear natural.

Fourthly, where an approach quits the high road, it ought not to break from it at right angles, or in such a manner as to rob the entrance of importance, but rather at some bend of the public road, from whence a lodge or gate may be more conspicuous, and where the high road may appear to branch from the approach, rather than the approach from the high road.

Fifthly, after the approach enters the park, it should avoid skirting along its boundary, which betrays the want of extent or variety of property.

Sixthly, the house, unless very large and magnificent, should not be seen at so great a distance as to make it appear much less than it really is.

Seventhly, the first view of the house should be from the most pleasing point of sight.

Eighthly, as soon as the house is visible from the approach, there should be no temptation to quit it, (which will ever be the case if the road be at all curcuitous) unless sufficient obstacles, such as water or inaccessible ground appear to justify its course. Finally, the principles for sufficient reason ought never to be lost sight of in laying out park roads; that is, no deviation from a straight line should appear for which a reason is not given in the position of the ground, trees, or other accompanying objects.—(H. R.)

« НазадПродовжити »