house, a vase, a cluster of shrubs, or other pleasing object to terminate the little avenue thus created. As much of open lawn as is practicable, and a predominance of evergreens, will be desirable for such gardens; since these will be agreeable at all seasons of the year. And extreme smoothness and neatness of finish and of keeping are essential. The beds introduced, too, should be scrupulously simple in form and arrangement. In dealing with gardens attached to rows of houses, such as terraces or crescents, a greatly enhanced effect will generally be secured by making one road, or walk to the houses, and rendering both it and the garden-ground common to all of them. But, if the plot of land is too large for this, or there is a decided preference in the locality for separate walks to each house, and thoroughly detached gardens, these latter may be defined by light wire-fences, and the planting and other details be so arranged as that, while each plot is partially isolated, the individual features of every one of them shall unite with the rest, and give a complete harmony and breadth of treatment to the whole. A specimen of a rather peculiar town garden will be found in fig. 224, which is a plan of the garden of John Johnson, Esq., in the town of Runcorn. The house, 1, offices of various kinds, 2, and stable-buildings, &c., are all in one block. There are two vineries at 3, and a greenhouse at 4, with garden-sheds behind them; and these are also in one block. At 5, there is a melon pit, 6 is a basin of water and a small fountain, in the centre of a flower-plot, 7 is a summer-house, 8, borders for vines, 9, a border for flowers and climbing plants, and 10 a little strawberry, herb, and salad garden, which is four or five feet higher than the parts about the house, and is separated from these by a bold retaining wall, 30. This latter is only about three feet high, and there is a grass slope behind it, with a few specimens and groups of shrubs, to prevent the cultivated ground from being seen in the lower garden. The high road or street is to the north, and the Bridgewater Canal and towing path on the south side of the place. The whole garden is necessarily enclosed by walls, except immediately in front of the plot by the entrance, where there is a light iron railing. The discrepancy in the lines of the house and the offices, and the want of squareness in the southern boundary, give the plan a somewhat awkward look, which is not noticed on the ground. The former evil is mitigated, too, by the masses of shrubs (29) placed in the corners of the lower southern plot. Those beds appropriated to flowers will be easily distinguished. The small avenue of circles is opposite one of the drawing-room windows, and these beds are meant to be occupied with only two sorts of plants, of striking colours, placed alternately. The specimen shrubs and the masses of plants are nearly all numbered; the clumps that are without numbers representing a mixture of shrubs, of which there is room for few besides evergreens. 11. Hybrid Rhododendron. 12. Golden-blotched Holly. 13. Hodgins's Holly. 14. Black-leaved Laurustinus. 15. Cluster of Rhododendron ferrugineum. 16. Andromeda floribunda. 17. Irish Yews, to be kept at a uniform height of 3 ft. 18. Half-standard Roses, all 2 ft. high. 19. Pernettya mucronata. 20. Common Laurustinus. 21. Aucuba japonica. 22. Ilex marginata. 23. Erica multiflora. 24. Garrya elliptica. 27. Berberis aquifolium. 30. Ornamental retaining wall, 3 ft. high. 31. Border for fruit-trees, to be trained to wall. Altogether, the garden, house, other buildings, and yards of this place cover about half an acre. Another example of a town garden is given in fig. 225, which represents a plot in a different part of Runcorn, belonging to Charles Hazelhurst, Esq., and was designed in 1860. There is a public road or street on the western side of the land, leading from Runcorn Ferry, and a subordinate street at the back of the house, to the south; the top of the engraving being nearly due north. The whole of the ground is almost level; but higher, by two or three feet, than the western outside road. In the plan, 1 is the house, which is entered from the west side, and has a garden door to the north; 2 is a house yard, with communication to the adjoining street; 3 is a proposed span-roofed greenhouse, with boiler house at 4, potting shed at 5, a small strip of kitchen garden at 6, and borders for vines, if these should be introduced to the greenhouse, at 7. The rest of the references are given collectively. All other masses of planting shown on the plan are for mixed shrubs, chiefly evergreens, and with a strong leaning to the various kinds of Hollies and of Rhododenrons, with Aucuba japonica; the climate here being affected not merely by the smoke of the town, but by the sea-breezes, which blow with such |