DOI issue:
No. 93 (December, 1900)
DOI article:Prior, Edward S.: Garden-making III: the conditions of material
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19786#0204
Ga rden-Making
life-time's experience makes for little with it, and un- where pleasant garden walls can only be built where
helped by the instincts of the age the brief experi- rubble, stone or flint is dug in the neighbourhood,
ments of any individual taste have many deficiencies. Such walling may be had in more parts of England
Now the first essential of a garden is, as has than is generally supposed, but it is to be specially
been insisted, its enclosure, and for this the noted that in order to get its beauty the stone-laying
materials of brick, stone, wood, quickhedge, are and pointing must be carried out with the common
suitable under certain conditions. Let the boundary sense of an artist, else the art of the wall will
wall be distinct for its purpose of adequately be spoilt. The present builder-methods of
enclosing the garden plot, but it need not be " broken" walling and " spider" pointing must be
elaborate. Let it be efficient as a shelter and a supervised and their absurdities rejected. Where
screen : and if wall—in order that it may be useful local brick and stone are both impossible, so that
for fruit trees and creeping growth,—let it be commercial building has to be resorted to, let the
smooth-faced to the inside of the garden, and walls be whitewashed to cover the ugliness : or,
let it be simply coped or thatched, so that its where possible, rough-casted, though this makes
drippings fall away from the fruit. Unfortunately wires necessary for the training of the wall trees,
the best wall-material, brick, has now in its Still, in default of proper masonry materials, fruit-
commercial machine-made forms, whether red, raising can be accomplished on the traditional
yellow, or white, been manufactured up to a split-oak fence of the " home counties" : this is
pitcli of ugliness which makes its use impossible always pleasant to the eye, while the deal fence,
in the garden. Still, old bricks can be got tarred—or why not whitewashed ?—is certainly
in some places, and in the neighbourhood of more sightly than a red brick wall, as bricks are
London the old-fashioned "stock," though no longer made now. Where fruit-growing is not the point
as well-made as it used to be, has not been a good boundary can be made with the simple
entirely superseded ; moreover, in out-of-the-way open paling and quickset hedge, but where room
parts of Kent, Suffolk, and Hampshire, good- will allow, let there be the space of a walk between
looking bricks are still made by hand. But else- the pale and the hedge, so that each can be kept
GARDEN AT SYMONDSBURY
180
BY ARTHUR BOND
life-time's experience makes for little with it, and un- where pleasant garden walls can only be built where
helped by the instincts of the age the brief experi- rubble, stone or flint is dug in the neighbourhood,
ments of any individual taste have many deficiencies. Such walling may be had in more parts of England
Now the first essential of a garden is, as has than is generally supposed, but it is to be specially
been insisted, its enclosure, and for this the noted that in order to get its beauty the stone-laying
materials of brick, stone, wood, quickhedge, are and pointing must be carried out with the common
suitable under certain conditions. Let the boundary sense of an artist, else the art of the wall will
wall be distinct for its purpose of adequately be spoilt. The present builder-methods of
enclosing the garden plot, but it need not be " broken" walling and " spider" pointing must be
elaborate. Let it be efficient as a shelter and a supervised and their absurdities rejected. Where
screen : and if wall—in order that it may be useful local brick and stone are both impossible, so that
for fruit trees and creeping growth,—let it be commercial building has to be resorted to, let the
smooth-faced to the inside of the garden, and walls be whitewashed to cover the ugliness : or,
let it be simply coped or thatched, so that its where possible, rough-casted, though this makes
drippings fall away from the fruit. Unfortunately wires necessary for the training of the wall trees,
the best wall-material, brick, has now in its Still, in default of proper masonry materials, fruit-
commercial machine-made forms, whether red, raising can be accomplished on the traditional
yellow, or white, been manufactured up to a split-oak fence of the " home counties" : this is
pitcli of ugliness which makes its use impossible always pleasant to the eye, while the deal fence,
in the garden. Still, old bricks can be got tarred—or why not whitewashed ?—is certainly
in some places, and in the neighbourhood of more sightly than a red brick wall, as bricks are
London the old-fashioned "stock," though no longer made now. Where fruit-growing is not the point
as well-made as it used to be, has not been a good boundary can be made with the simple
entirely superseded ; moreover, in out-of-the-way open paling and quickset hedge, but where room
parts of Kent, Suffolk, and Hampshire, good- will allow, let there be the space of a walk between
looking bricks are still made by hand. But else- the pale and the hedge, so that each can be kept
GARDEN AT SYMONDSBURY
180
BY ARTHUR BOND