_The office of the Gardiner, and first of the Earth, Situation, and
fencing of a Garden for pleasure._
There is to be required at the hands of euery perfect Gardiner three
especiall vertues, that is to say, _Diligence_, _Industry_, and _Art_:
the two first, as namely, _Diligence_ (vnder which word I comprehend his
loue, care, and delight in the vertue hee professeth) and _Industry_
(vnder which word I conclude his labour, paine, and study, which are the
onely testimonies of his perfection) hee must reape from Nature: for, if
hee be not inclined, euen from the strength of his blood to this loue
and labour, it is impossible he should euer proue an absolute gardiner:
the latter, which containeth his skill, habit, and vnderstanding in what
hee professeth, I doubt not but hee shall gather from the abstracts or
rules which shall follow hereafter in this Treatise, so that where
nature, and this worke shall concurre in one subiect, there is no doubt
to be made, but the professor shall in all points, be able to discharge
a sufficient dutie.
Now, for as much as all our antient and forraine writers (for wee are
very sleightly beholding to our selues for these indeauours) are
exceeding curious in the choise of earth, and situation of the plot of
ground which is meete for the garden: yet I, that am all English
Husbandman, and know our soyles out of the worthinesse of their owne
natures doe as it were rebell against forraine imitation, thinking their
owne vertues are able to propound their owne rules: and the rather when
I call into my remembrance, that in all the forraine places I haue
seene, there is none more worthy then our owne, and yet none ordered
like our owne, I cannot be induced to follow the rules of Italie,
vnlesse I were in Italie, neither those of France, vnlesse I dwelt in
France, nor those of Germany except in Germany I had my habitation,
knowing that the too much heate of the one, or the too much coldnesse of
the other, must rather confound then help in our temperate climate:
whence it comes, that our english booke-knowledge in these cases is both
disgraced and condemned, euery one fayling in his experiments, because
he is guided by no home-bredde, but a stranger; as if to reade the
english tongue there were none better then an Italian Pedant. This to
auoide, I will neither begge ayde nor authoritie from strangers, but
reuerence them as worthies and fathers of their owne Countries.
{SN: Of the ground.}
To speake therefore first of the ground which is fit for the garden,
albeit the best is best worthy, the labour least, and the profit most
certaine, yet it is not meete that you refuse any earth whatsoeuer, both
because a garden is so profitable, necessary, and such an ornament and
grace to euery house and house-keeper, that the dwelling place is lame
and maymed if it want that goodly limbe, and beauty. Besides, if no
gardens should be planted but in the best and richest soyles, it were
infinite the losse we should sustaine in our priuate profit, and in the
due commendations, fit for many worthy workmen, who haue reduced the
worst and barrainest earths to as rare perfection and profit as if they
had beene the onely soyles of this kingdome: and for mine owne part, I
doe not wonder either at the worke of Art or Nature, when I behould in a
goodly, rich, and fertill soyle, a garden adorned with all the delights
and delicacies which are within mans vnderstanding, because the naturall
goodnesse of the earth (which not induring to be idle) will bring forth
whatsoeuer is cast into her: but when I behould vpon a barraine, dry,
and deiected earth, such as the Peake-hils, where a man may behould Snow
all summer, or on the East-mores, whose best hearbage is nothing but
mosse, and iron stone, in such a place, I say, to behould a delicate,
rich, and fruitfull garden, it shewes great worthinesse in the owner,
and infinite Art and industry in the workeman, and makes me both admire
and loue the begetters of such excellencies.
But to returne to my purpose touching the choise of your earth for a
garden, sith no house can conueniently be without one, and that our
English Nation is of that great popularitie, that not the worst place
thereof but is abundantly inhabited, I thinke it meete that you refuse
no earth whatsoeuer to plant your garden vpon, euer obseruing this rule,
that the more barraine it is, the more cost must be bestowed vpon it,
both in Manuring, digging, and in trenching, as shall be shewed
hereafter, and the more rich it is, lesse cost of such labour, and more
curiositie in weeding, proyning, and trimming the earth: for, as the
first is too slow, so the latter is too swift, both in her increase and
multiplication.
Now, for the knowledge of soyles, which is good, and which is badde, I
haue spoken sufficiently already in that part which intreateth of
Tillage, onely this one caueat I will giue you, as soone as you haue
markt out your garden-plot, you shall turne vp a sodde, and taking some
part of the fresh mould, champe it betweene your teeth in your mouth,
and if it taste sweetish then is the mould excellent good and fit to
receiue either seedes or plants, without much Manuring, but if it taste
salt or bitter, then it is a great signe of barrainenesse, and must of
necessitie be corrected with Manure: for saltnesse sheweth much
windinesse, which choaketh and stifleth the seede, and bitternesse that
vnnaturall heate which blasteth it before it sprout.
{SN: Of the situation.}
Now, for the situation of the garden-plot for pleasure, you shall
vnderstand that it must euer be placed so neare vnto the dwelling house
as is possible, both because the eye of the owner may be a guard and
support from inconueniences, as also that the especiall roomes and
prospects of the house may be adorned, perfumed, and inriched, with the
delicate proportions, odorifferous smells, and wholsome ayres which
shall ascend and vaporate from the same, as may more amply be seene in
that former Chapter, where modelling forth the Husbandmans house, I shew
you the site and place for his Garden, onely you must diligently
obserue, that neare vnto this garden doe not stand any houells, stackes
of hay, or Corne, which ouer-pearing the walls, or fence, of the same,
may by reason of winde, or other occasion, annoy the same with straw,
chaffe, seedes, or such like filthinesse, which doth not onely blemish
the beauty thereof, but is also naturally very hurtfull and cankerous to
all plants whatsoeuer. Within this garden plot would be also either some
Well, Pumpe, Conduit, Pond, or Cesterne for water, sith a garden, at
many times of the yeere, requireth much watering: & this place for water
you shall order and dispose according to your abillitie, and the nature
of the soyle, as thus: if both your reputation, and your wealth be of
the lowest account, if then your garden aford you a plaine Well, comely
couered, or a plaine Pump, it shall be sufficient, or if for want of
such springs you digge a fayre Pond in some conuenient part thereof, or
else (which is much better) erect a Cesterne of leade, into which by
pippes may discend all the raine-water which falls about any part of the
house, it will serue for your purpose: but if God haue bestowed vpon you
a greater measure of his blessings, both in wealth & account, if then
insteade of either Well, Pumpe, Pond, or Cesterne, you erect Conduits,
or continuall running Fountaines, composed of Antique workes, according
to the curiositie of mans inuention, it shall be more gallant and
worthy: and these Conduits or water-courses, you may bring in pippes of
leade from other remote or more necessary places of water springs,
standing aboue the leuell of your garden, as euery Artist in the
profession of such workes can more amply declare vnto you, onely for mee
let it be sufficient to let you vnderstand that euery garden would be
accompanied with water.
Also you shall haue great care that there adioyne not vnto your
garden-plot any common-shewers, stinking or muddy dikes, dung-hils, or
such like, the annoyance of whose smells and euill vapors doth not onely
corrupt and breede infection in man, but also cankereth, killeth and
consumeth all manner of plants, especially those which are most
pleasant, fragrant, and odorifferous, as being of tenderest nature and
qualitie: and for this cause diuers will not alow the moating of
garden-plots about, imagining that the ouer great moistnesse thereof,
and the strong smells which doe arise from the mudde in the Summer
season, doe corrupt and putrifie the hearbes and plants within the
compasse of the same, but I am not altogether of that opinion, for if
the water be sweet, or the channell thereof sandy or grauelly, then
there is no such scruple to be taken: but if it be contrary, then it is
with all care to be auoyded, because it is euer a Maxime in this case,
that your garden-plot must euer be compassed with the pleasantest and
sweetest ayre that may be.
The windes which you shall generally defend from your garden, are the
Easterne windes and the Northerne, because they are sharpest, coldest,
and bring with them tempers of most vnseasonablenesse, & albeit in
Italie, Spaine, and such like hot Countries, they rather defend away the
Westerne and Southerne winde, giuing free passage to the East and North,
yet with England it may not be so, because the naturall coldenes of our
Climate is sufficient without any assistance to further bitternesse,
our best industry being to be imployed rather to get warmth, which may
nourish and bring forth our labours, then any way to diminish or weaken
the same.
This plot of ground also would lye, as neare as you can, at the foote or
bottome of an hill, both that the hill may defend the windes and sharpe
weather from the same, as also that you may haue certaine ascents or
risings of state, from leuell to leuell, as was in some sort before
shewed in the plot for the Orchard, and shall be better declared in the
next Chapter.
{SN: Of fencing the garden.}
Now lastly for the fencing or making priuate the garden-plot, it is to
be done according to your abillitie, and the nature of the climate
wherein you liue: as thus, if your reuenewes will reach thereunto, and
matter be to be got, for that purpose, where you liue, then you shall
vnderstand that your best fence is a strong wall, either of Bricke,
Ashler, rough-Stone, or Earth, of which you are the best-owner, or can
with least dammage compasse: but for want either of earth to make
bricke, or quarries out of which to get stone, it shall not then be
amisse to fence your garden with a tall strong pale of seasoned Oake,
fixt to a double parris raile, being lined on the inside with a thicke
quicke-set of white-Thorne, the planting whereof shall be more largely
spoken of where I intreate of fencing onely. But if the place where you
liue in, be so barraine of timber that you cannot get sufficient for the
purpose, then you shall make a studde wall, which shall be splinted and
lomed both with earth and lime, and hayre, and copt vpon the toppe (to
defend away wet) either with tile, slate, or straw, and this wall is
both beautifull, and of long continuance, as may be seene in the most
parts of the South of this kingdome: but if either your pouerty or
climate doe deny you timber for this purpose, you shall then first make
a small trench round about your garden-plot, and set at least foure
rowes of quicke-set of white-Thorne, one aboue another, and then round
about the outside, to defend the quick-set, make a tall fence of dead
woode, being either long, small, brushy poales prickt into the earth,
and standing vpright, and so bound together in the wast betweene two
other poales, according to the figure set downe,
{Illustration}
being so high that not any kinde of Pullen may flie ouer the same, or
else an ordinary hedge of common woode, being beyrded vpon the toppe
with sharpe Thornes, in such wise that not any thing may dare to
aduenture ouer it: and this dead fence you shall repaire and maintaine
as occasion shall require from time to time, till your quicke-set be
growne vp, and, by continuall plashing and interfouldings, be made able
and sufficient to fence and defend your garden, which will be within
fiue or seauen yeeres at the most, and so continue with good order for
euer. And thus much for the situation of gardens.