DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20000#0039
ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND 9
The most popular of all the landscape gardeners was Lancelot Brown, better known as "Capability"
Brown, from a habit he had of expatiating on the " capabilities " of any place he was asked to improve. Born
in 1715, he began his career as a kitchen gardener, first at a place near Woodstock and then at Stowe ; his first
attempt at designing was in 1750, when he designed and executed a lake at Wakefield Lodge for the Duke of
Grafton. He was appointed Royal Gardener at Hampton Court, where he planted the celebrated vine
in 1769. He soon had an enormous practice, and the old gardens disappeared with alarming rapidity
before the ruthless hand of the " omnipotent magician," as Cowper calls him. The formation of artificial lakes
was a strong point in his designs, and one on which he prided himself. " Thames ! Thames ! thou wilt
never forgive me! " he was overheard to exclaim when lost in admiration over one of his pet schemes.
It would be barely possible to enumerate all the villas the environs of which he remodelled, and always
according to the system upon which he worked with persevering uniformity. His reputation and consequent
wealth gave him almost exclusive pretensions. Clumps and belts were multiplied in wearying degree, and
abounded in almost every part of the kingdom ; every vestige of the formal or the reformed taste was forcibly
removed ; whatever approached to a right line was held in abhorrence.
Brown died in 1783, and was succeeded by Humphry Repton ; fortunately the wholesale destruction of old
places was to be checked, for Repton had not sufficient influence to suggest such sweeping alterations as
Brown had made. Repton, who was the first to assume the title of " Landscape Gardener," published in 1795
" Sketches and Hints on Landscape Gardening," wherein he lays down the four following guiding rules for the
design of a garden. " First, it must display the natural beauties and hide the natural defects of every situation.
Secondly, it should give the appearance of extent and freedom, by carefully disguising or hiding the boundary.
Thirdly, it must studiously conceal every interference of art, however expensive, by which the scenery is
improved ; making the whole appear the production of nature only ; and fourthly, all objects of mere convenience
or comfort, if incapable of being made ornamental, or of becoming proper parts of the general scenery, must
be removed or concealed."
Unfortunately, the taste for landscape gardening was not only confined to England, but after the peace in
1762 the " Jardin a l'Anglaise " became the fashion on the Continent, and many fine old gardens in France
and elsewhere were destroyed. Even when the landscape gardener undoubtedly held the field in the larger
gardens, England was not completely captured, for there are still remains of many an old garden, formed during
this period and adhering to the principles of the formal school, which hand down to our own day the
best traditions of the seventeenth century.
During the nineteenth century the introduction of many new plants, with improved methods of
cultivation, and the more extended use of hothouse and conservatory, have brought about many changes. In
the early part of the century landscape gardening was still fashionable, but towards the middle the Italian
style came in with the revival of Italian Architecture, and large schemes were designed by Sir Charles Barry,
notable examples of whose work are the gardens at Trentham and Shrublands. Illustrations of a number of
gardens of this period will be found in a work entitled " Gardens of England," by A. E. Brooke,
published in 1858. The practice of bedding out plants was introduced, and instead of the glorious beds
of old-fashioned flowers which had been the pride of our gardens for centuries, we were asked to admire a
row of blue lobelias in front of another row of scarlet geraniums, whilst the yellow calceolarias made a
gorgeous background.
While it is a matter for regret that the development of the Formal Garden should have been interrupeted
during the many years that landscape gardening held the field, it must be admitted that this was largely
owing to the excesses and abuses which had crept in during the early part of the eighteenth century, when
the garden designer ceased to regard the garden as a place for rest and pleasant recreation, in which one loved
to be surrounded by familiar flowers and shrubs, and looked upon it rather with a view to showing his own
D
The most popular of all the landscape gardeners was Lancelot Brown, better known as "Capability"
Brown, from a habit he had of expatiating on the " capabilities " of any place he was asked to improve. Born
in 1715, he began his career as a kitchen gardener, first at a place near Woodstock and then at Stowe ; his first
attempt at designing was in 1750, when he designed and executed a lake at Wakefield Lodge for the Duke of
Grafton. He was appointed Royal Gardener at Hampton Court, where he planted the celebrated vine
in 1769. He soon had an enormous practice, and the old gardens disappeared with alarming rapidity
before the ruthless hand of the " omnipotent magician," as Cowper calls him. The formation of artificial lakes
was a strong point in his designs, and one on which he prided himself. " Thames ! Thames ! thou wilt
never forgive me! " he was overheard to exclaim when lost in admiration over one of his pet schemes.
It would be barely possible to enumerate all the villas the environs of which he remodelled, and always
according to the system upon which he worked with persevering uniformity. His reputation and consequent
wealth gave him almost exclusive pretensions. Clumps and belts were multiplied in wearying degree, and
abounded in almost every part of the kingdom ; every vestige of the formal or the reformed taste was forcibly
removed ; whatever approached to a right line was held in abhorrence.
Brown died in 1783, and was succeeded by Humphry Repton ; fortunately the wholesale destruction of old
places was to be checked, for Repton had not sufficient influence to suggest such sweeping alterations as
Brown had made. Repton, who was the first to assume the title of " Landscape Gardener," published in 1795
" Sketches and Hints on Landscape Gardening," wherein he lays down the four following guiding rules for the
design of a garden. " First, it must display the natural beauties and hide the natural defects of every situation.
Secondly, it should give the appearance of extent and freedom, by carefully disguising or hiding the boundary.
Thirdly, it must studiously conceal every interference of art, however expensive, by which the scenery is
improved ; making the whole appear the production of nature only ; and fourthly, all objects of mere convenience
or comfort, if incapable of being made ornamental, or of becoming proper parts of the general scenery, must
be removed or concealed."
Unfortunately, the taste for landscape gardening was not only confined to England, but after the peace in
1762 the " Jardin a l'Anglaise " became the fashion on the Continent, and many fine old gardens in France
and elsewhere were destroyed. Even when the landscape gardener undoubtedly held the field in the larger
gardens, England was not completely captured, for there are still remains of many an old garden, formed during
this period and adhering to the principles of the formal school, which hand down to our own day the
best traditions of the seventeenth century.
During the nineteenth century the introduction of many new plants, with improved methods of
cultivation, and the more extended use of hothouse and conservatory, have brought about many changes. In
the early part of the century landscape gardening was still fashionable, but towards the middle the Italian
style came in with the revival of Italian Architecture, and large schemes were designed by Sir Charles Barry,
notable examples of whose work are the gardens at Trentham and Shrublands. Illustrations of a number of
gardens of this period will be found in a work entitled " Gardens of England," by A. E. Brooke,
published in 1858. The practice of bedding out plants was introduced, and instead of the glorious beds
of old-fashioned flowers which had been the pride of our gardens for centuries, we were asked to admire a
row of blue lobelias in front of another row of scarlet geraniums, whilst the yellow calceolarias made a
gorgeous background.
While it is a matter for regret that the development of the Formal Garden should have been interrupeted
during the many years that landscape gardening held the field, it must be admitted that this was largely
owing to the excesses and abuses which had crept in during the early part of the eighteenth century, when
the garden designer ceased to regard the garden as a place for rest and pleasant recreation, in which one loved
to be surrounded by familiar flowers and shrubs, and looked upon it rather with a view to showing his own
D