DOI Heft:
No. 53 (August, 1897)
DOI Artikel:Joass, J. J.: On gardening: with descriptions of some formal gardens in Scotland
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18389#0191
Formal Gardens in Scotland
remaining in Scotland may therefore be of use to also adapts them as most suggestive models for
the student. everyday application when the pleasaunce is be-
Scottish gardening, like all the other arts, was coming again a part of the English dwelling, and
greatly retarded by the disturbed and poverty- the architect sometimes has the opportunity of
stricken state of the country during the fifteenth adding to the interest of his design and carrying
and sixteenth centuries. out more fully its use and meaning by laying out
In the south the soil and climate might have the garden as well,
enabled them to rival the English Barncluith.
gardens, though in the north the con- The romantic site of this garden
ditions were not so favourable. The JL has been beautifully described in
picturesque and romantic sites of /K Scott's essay on Forest Trees in the
many of the baronial residences, too, jh Quarterly Review already referred to.
usually supplied the great desideratum //iA ^e Sround on which it is laid out is
of the garden designer, steeply sloping \^ almost precipitous, as will be seen
ground giving opportunities for ter- J^/fA }( X ^ from the section (page 167), the general
raced or hanging gardens, while a MM/} f,!<>,'.'! '\\ incline being about 550. In size it is
very small, about 60 ft. in width over
f all, and the terraced part under 150 ft.
copious supply of water made the
construction of fountains an easy
matter. This peculiarity of site they
share with many Italian gardens,
in length. The lower or first terrace,
which is of grass, overhangs the River
which they sometimes recall in a fefO fttej^ Evan with a drop of 50 ft. or 60 ft. to
rugged and perhaps uncouth manner, ^f$|> tne water- There is neither rail nor
but with a certain fitness of their own, JT, parapet for the greater part of its
length, though one or two clipped
yews, a holly-tree or so, and a fine
acacia form an imaginary barrier. At
the western end of this terrace is the
circular basin of a fountain, with a
short pillar bearing a carved bowl in
the centre, but now overgrown with
vegetation.
Opposite this, and recessed in the
retaining wall, is a great arched seat,
also in a rather ruinous condition.
At the east end is a garden-house, a
charming little building of two storeys,
with a claret-house or summer-house
corresponding to the rude character of
the national architecture.
It was not till the seventeenth cen-
tury that gardening as an art began in
Scotland. Mary and her train of
French followers gave an impetus to
the fashion a hundred years before,
but little was done. Many flowers
and plants new to Scotland were in-
troduced at that time however, and
the design of some of our early gar-
dens is ascribed with more or less
plausibility to Mary, notably the
curious glass garden at Fordel. _
In the seventeenth century many of above, and perhaps a tool-house below,
our finest gardens were laid down. ^^ovecote ^t *s 0^ ^ate Scottish Renaissance
They seem to have owed their design work, and has a very curious outside
not to professional gardeners, but staircase.
usually to the owners of the castles and mansions Adjoining it on the south, and built out on the
themselves. To this period belong the gardens at precipice, is a flight of steps leading to a terrace on
Edzell, Murthly, Barncluith, and many others. the east side corresponding to the level of the first
Though possessing originally, of course, infinitely floor, which may be entered from it. From here a
fewer gardens than England, a greater proportion straight path extends 300 ft. or more to the extreme
of these seem to have survived. Being a poorer end of the garden, and the ground, ornamented with
country, perhaps few proprietors could afford to go flower-beds and shrubs and a line of clipped yews,
in for the expense of decorating their grounds in falls rapidly to the river, but without terraces at
the new manner, levelling the terraces, uprooting this part, except where a short retaining wall cheeks
the hedges, and forming the artificial lakes with the steepness of the slope.
belts and clumps that were then considered correct The second terrace is reached by a very narrow
taste. flight of steep steps at the west end. Adjoining
The moderate scale of these Scottish examples this is another smaller garden-house partially exca-
168
remaining in Scotland may therefore be of use to also adapts them as most suggestive models for
the student. everyday application when the pleasaunce is be-
Scottish gardening, like all the other arts, was coming again a part of the English dwelling, and
greatly retarded by the disturbed and poverty- the architect sometimes has the opportunity of
stricken state of the country during the fifteenth adding to the interest of his design and carrying
and sixteenth centuries. out more fully its use and meaning by laying out
In the south the soil and climate might have the garden as well,
enabled them to rival the English Barncluith.
gardens, though in the north the con- The romantic site of this garden
ditions were not so favourable. The JL has been beautifully described in
picturesque and romantic sites of /K Scott's essay on Forest Trees in the
many of the baronial residences, too, jh Quarterly Review already referred to.
usually supplied the great desideratum //iA ^e Sround on which it is laid out is
of the garden designer, steeply sloping \^ almost precipitous, as will be seen
ground giving opportunities for ter- J^/fA }( X ^ from the section (page 167), the general
raced or hanging gardens, while a MM/} f,!<>,'.'! '\\ incline being about 550. In size it is
very small, about 60 ft. in width over
f all, and the terraced part under 150 ft.
copious supply of water made the
construction of fountains an easy
matter. This peculiarity of site they
share with many Italian gardens,
in length. The lower or first terrace,
which is of grass, overhangs the River
which they sometimes recall in a fefO fttej^ Evan with a drop of 50 ft. or 60 ft. to
rugged and perhaps uncouth manner, ^f$|> tne water- There is neither rail nor
but with a certain fitness of their own, JT, parapet for the greater part of its
length, though one or two clipped
yews, a holly-tree or so, and a fine
acacia form an imaginary barrier. At
the western end of this terrace is the
circular basin of a fountain, with a
short pillar bearing a carved bowl in
the centre, but now overgrown with
vegetation.
Opposite this, and recessed in the
retaining wall, is a great arched seat,
also in a rather ruinous condition.
At the east end is a garden-house, a
charming little building of two storeys,
with a claret-house or summer-house
corresponding to the rude character of
the national architecture.
It was not till the seventeenth cen-
tury that gardening as an art began in
Scotland. Mary and her train of
French followers gave an impetus to
the fashion a hundred years before,
but little was done. Many flowers
and plants new to Scotland were in-
troduced at that time however, and
the design of some of our early gar-
dens is ascribed with more or less
plausibility to Mary, notably the
curious glass garden at Fordel. _
In the seventeenth century many of above, and perhaps a tool-house below,
our finest gardens were laid down. ^^ovecote ^t *s 0^ ^ate Scottish Renaissance
They seem to have owed their design work, and has a very curious outside
not to professional gardeners, but staircase.
usually to the owners of the castles and mansions Adjoining it on the south, and built out on the
themselves. To this period belong the gardens at precipice, is a flight of steps leading to a terrace on
Edzell, Murthly, Barncluith, and many others. the east side corresponding to the level of the first
Though possessing originally, of course, infinitely floor, which may be entered from it. From here a
fewer gardens than England, a greater proportion straight path extends 300 ft. or more to the extreme
of these seem to have survived. Being a poorer end of the garden, and the ground, ornamented with
country, perhaps few proprietors could afford to go flower-beds and shrubs and a line of clipped yews,
in for the expense of decorating their grounds in falls rapidly to the river, but without terraces at
the new manner, levelling the terraces, uprooting this part, except where a short retaining wall cheeks
the hedges, and forming the artificial lakes with the steepness of the slope.
belts and clumps that were then considered correct The second terrace is reached by a very narrow
taste. flight of steep steps at the west end. Adjoining
The moderate scale of these Scottish examples this is another smaller garden-house partially exca-
168