greenery; on the upper level swinging round in a half circle, in which
are cut arched niches. In each leafy niche is a bust of a Cæsar in
marble on a tall term-shaped pedestal. Orange trees in tubs stand by the
sides of the Canal. This is the most ornate portion of the garden, but
its whole extent is designed with equal care. There is a wide
bowling-green for quiet play; turf walks within walls of living green;
everywhere that feeling of repose and ease of mind and satisfaction that
comes of good balance and proportion. It shows the classical sentiment
thoroughly assimilated, and a judicious interpretation of it brought
forth in a form not only possible but eminently successful, as a garden
of Italy translated into the soil of one of our Southern Counties.
Whether or not it is in itself the kind of gardening best suited for
England may be open to doubt, but at least it is the work of a man who
knew what he wanted and did it as well as it could possibly be done.
Throughout it bears evidence of the work of a master. There is no doubt,
no ambiguity as to what is intended. The strong will orders, the docile
stone and vegetation obey. It is full-dress gardening, stately,
princely, full of dignity; gardening that has the courtly sentiment. It
seems to demand that the actual working of it should be kept out of
sight. Whereas in a homely garden it is pleasant to see people at work,
and their tools and implements ready to their hands, here there must be
no visible intrusion of wheelbarrow or shirt-sleeved labour.
Possibly the sentiment of a garden for state alone was the more
gratifying to its owner because of the near neighbourhood of miles upon
miles of wild, free forest; land of the same character being inclosed
within the property; the tall trees showing above the outer hedges and
playing to the lightest airs of wind in an almost strange contrast to
the inflexible green boundaries of the ordered garden.
The danger that awaits such a garden, now just coming to its early
prime, is that the careful hand should be relaxed. It is an heritage
that carries with it much responsibility; moreover, it would be ruined
by the addition of any commonplace gardening. Winter and summer it is
nearly complete in itself; only in summer flowers show as brilliant
jewels in its marble vases and in its one restricted parterre of
box-edged beds.
It is a place whose design must always dominate the personal wishes,
should they desire other expression, of the succeeding owners. The
borders of hardy and half-hardy plants, that in nine gardens out of ten
present the most obvious ways of enjoying the beauty of flowers, are
here out of place. In some rare cases it might not be impossible to
introduce some beautiful climbing plant or plant of other habit, that
would be in right harmony with the design, but it should only be
attempted by an artist who has such knowledge of, and sympathy with,
refined architecture as will be sure to guide him aright, and such a
consummate knowledge of plants as will at once present to his mind the
identity of the only possible plants that could so be used. Any mistaken
choice or introduction of unsuitable plants would grievously mar the
design and would introduce an element of jarring incongruity such as
might easily be debased into vulgarity.
There is no reason why such other gardening may not be rightly done even
at Brockenhurst, but it should not encroach upon or be mixed up with an
Italian design. Its place would be in quite another portion of the
grounds.
[Illustration: BROCKENHURST: THE GARDEN GATE