_Of the fashion of the garden-plot for pleasure, the Alleyes, Quarters,
Digging and Dungging of the same._
{SN: The fashion.}
After you haue chosen out and fenced your garden-plot, according as is
before sayd, you shall then beginne to fashion and proportion out the
same, sith in the conuayance remaineth a great part of the gardiners
art. And herein you shall vnderstand that there be two formes of
proportions belonging to the garden, the first, onely beautifull, as the
plaine, and single square, contayning onely foure quarters, with his
large Alleyes euery way, as was discribed before in the Orchard: the
other both beautifull and stately, as when there is one, two or three
leuelled squares, each mounting seauen or eight steppes one aboue
another, and euery square contayning foure seuerall Quarters with their
distinct and seuerall Alleyes of equall breadth and proportion; placing
in the center of euery square, that is to say, where the foure corners of
the foure Quarters doe as it were neighbour and meete one another,
either a Conduit of antique fashion, a Standard of some vnusuall deuise,
or else some Dyall, or other Piramed, that may grace and beautifie the
garden. And herein I would haue you vnderstand that I would not haue you
to cast euery square into one forme or fashion of Quarters or Alleyes,
for that would shew little varytie or inuention in Art, but rather to
cast one in plaine Squares, another in Tryangulars, another in
roundalls, & so a fourth according to the worthinesse of conceite, as in
some sort you may behould by these figures, which questionlesse when
they are adorned with their ornaments, will breed infinite delight to
the beholders.
{Illustration: The Plaine Square.}
{Illustration: The Square Triangular or circular.}
{Illustration: The Square of eight Diamonds.}
From the modell of these Squares, Tryangles, and Rounds, any
industrious braine may with little difficulty deriue and fashion to
himselfe diuers other shapes and proportions, according to the nature
and site of the earth, which may appeare more quaint and strange then
these which are in our common vse, albeit these are in the truth of
workmanship the perfect father and mother of all proportions whatsoeuer.
{SN: The ordering of Alleyes.}
Now, you shall vnderstand that concerning the Alleyes and walkes in this
garden of pleasure, it is very meete that your ground, being spacious
and large, (which is the best beauty) that you cut through the midst of
euery Alley an ample and large path or walke, the full depth of the
roote of the greene-swarth, and at least the breadth of seauen or eight
foote: and in this path you shall strow either some fine redde-sand, of
a good binding nature, or else some fine small grauell, or for want of
both them you may take the finest of your pit-coale-dust, which will
both keepe your Alleyes dry and smooth, and also not suffer any grasse
or greene thing to grow within them, which is disgracefull, if it be
suffered: the French-men doe vse, to couer their Alleyes, either with
the powder of marble, or the powder of slate-stone, or else paue them
either with Pit-stone, Free-stone, or Tiles, the first of which is too
hard to get, the other great cost to small purpose, the rather sith our
owne grauell is in euery respect as beautifull, as dry, as strong, and
as long lasting: Onely this heedfulnesse you must diligently obserue,
that if the situation of your garden-plot be low and much subiect to
moisture, that then these middle-cut paths or walkes must be heightned
vp in the midst, and made in a proportionall bent or compasse: wherein
you shall obserue that the out most verdges of the walke must be leuell
with the greene-swarth which holded in each side, and the midst so truly
raised vp in compasse, that the raine which falles may haue a passage to
each side of the greene-swarth. Now, the lesse this compasse is made (so
it auoyde the water, and remaine hard) the better it is, because by
that meanes both the eye shall be deceiued (which shewes art in the
workman) and the more leuell they are, the more ease vnto them which
shall continually walke vpon them.
{SN: Obiection.}
Now, if any shall obiect, why I doe not rather couet to haue these
Alleyes or walkes rather all greene, then thus cut and deuided, sith it
is a most beautifull thing to see a pleasant greene walke, my answere is
this, that first the mixture of colours, is the onely delight of the eye
aboue all other: for beauty being the onely obiect in which it ioyeth,
that beautie is nothing but an excellent mixture, or consent of colours,
as in the composition of a delicate woman the grace of her cheeke is the
mixture of redde and white, the wonder of her eye blacke and white, and
the beauty of her hand blewe and white, any of which is not sayd to be
beautifull if it consist of single or simple colours: and so in these
walkes, or Alleyes, the all greene, nor the all yealow cannot be sayd to
be most beautifull, but the greene and yealow, (that is to say, the
vntroade grasse, and the well knit grauell) being equally mixt, giue the
eye both luster and delight beyonde all comparison.
Againe, to keepe your walkes all greene, or grassy, you must of force
either forbeare to tread vpon them, (which is the vse for which they
were onely fashioned,) or treading vpon them you shall make so many
pathes and ilfauored wayes as will be most vglie to the eye: besides the
dewe and wet hanging vpon the grasse will so annoy you, that if you doe
not select especiall howers to walke in, you must prouide shooes or
bootes of extraordinary goodnesse: which is halfe a depriuement of your
liberty, whereas these things of recreation were created for a contrary
purpose.
Now, you shall also vnderstand that as you make this sandy and smooth
walke through the midst of your Alleyes, so you shall not omit but leaue
as much greene-swarth, or grasse ground of eache side the plaine path as
may fully counteruaile the breadth of the walke, as thus for example: if
your sandy walke be sixe foote broad, the grasse ground of each side
it, shall be at least sixe foote also, so that the whole Alley shall be
at least eighteene foote in breadth, which will be both comely and
stately.
{SN: Of the Quarters.}
Your Alleyes being thus proportioned and set forth, your next worke
shall be the ordering of your Quarters, which as I sayd before, you may
frame into what proportions you please, as into Squares, Tryangles and
Rounds, according to the ground, or your owne inuention: and hauing
marked them out with lines, and the garden compasse, you shall then
beginne to digge them in this manner: first, with a paring spade, the
fashion whereof is formerly shewed, you shall pare away all the
greene-swarth, fully so deepe as the roote of the grasse shall goe, and
cast it away, then with other digging spades you shall digge vp the
earth, at least two foote and a halfe, or three foote deepe, in turning
vp of which earth, you shall note that as any rootes of weedes, or other
quickes shall be raised or stirred vp, so presently with your hands to
gather them vp, and cast them away, that your mould may (as neare as
your dilligence can performe it) be cleane from either wilde rootes,
stones, or such like offences: & in this digging of your Quarters you
shall not forget but raise vp the ground of your Quarters at least two
foote higher then your Alleyes, and where by meanes of such reasure, you
shall want mould, there you shall supply that lacke by bringing mould
and cleane earth from some other place, where most conueniently you may
spare it, that your whole Quarter being digged all ouer, it may rise in
all parts alike, and carry an orderly and well proportioned leuell
through the whole worke.
{SN: Of Dunging.}
The best season for this first digging of your garden mould is in
September: and after it is so digged and roughly cast vp, you shall let
it rest till the latter end of Nouember, at what time you shall digge it
vp againe, in manner as afore sayd, onely with these additions, that you
shall enter into the fresh mould, halfe a spade-graft deeper then
before, and at euery two foote breadth of ground, enlarging the trench
both wide and deepe, fill it vp with the oldest and best Oxe or
Cow-Manure that you can possibly get, till such time that increasing
from two foote to two foote, you haue gone ouer and Manured all your
quarters, hauing a principall care that your dunge or Manure lye both
deepe and thicke, in so much that euery part of your mould may
indifferently pertake and be inriched with the same Manure.
{SN: Diuersitie of Manures.}
Now, you shall vnderstand that although I doe particularly speake but of
Oxe or Cow-Manure, because it is of all the fattest and strongest,
especially being olde, yet their are diuers respects to be had in the
Manuring of gardens: as first, if your ground be naturally of a good,
fat, blacke, and well tempered earth, or if it be of a barraine, sandy,
hot, yet firme mould, that in either of these cases your Oxe, Cow, or
beast Manure is the best & most sufficient, but if it be of a colde,
barraine, or spewing mould then it shall be good to mixe your Oxe-dunge
with Horse-dunge, which shall be at least two yeeres olde, if you can
get it, otherwise such as you can compasse: if your ground be good and
fertill yet out of his drynesse in the summer-time it be giuen to riue
and chappe as is seene in many earths; you shall then mixe your
Oxe-dunge well with Ashes, orts of Lime, and such like: lastly, if your
earth be too much binding and colde therewithall, then mixe your
Oxe-dunge with chalke or marle and it is the best Manure. And thus much
for the generall vse of earths.
Now, for perticular vses you shall vnderstand that for Hearbs or Flowers
the Oxe and Horse-dunge is the best, for rootes or Cabbages, mans ordure
is the best, for Harty-chockes, or any such like thisly-fruit,
Swines-dunge is most sufficient, and thus according to your setled
determination you shall seuerally prouide for euery seuerall purpose,
and so, God assisting, seldome faile in your profit. And this dunge you
shall bring into your garden in little drumblars or wheele-barrowes,
made for the purpose, such as being in common vse in euery Husbandmans
yarde it shall be needlesse here either to shew the figure or
proportion thereof. And thus much for the fashion, digging, and dunging
of gardens.