New-York tribune., 1902-05-17

AMERICAN GARDENS, Edited by Guy yi,d L0wsn. S0n3.
Quarto' PIP. 1So Boston, Bates q 'D''
FORMAL GARDENS IN M ENGLAND TSTae ANp PARTS Parts
Parts 1 and H. Imported by Charles ScriDher
Sons.
In the art of gardening, in every other, the
American is eclectic. The gardens represehIeu
in Mr.. Lowelrs volume of reproductions Iroiii
beautiful photographs illustrate the most ui-
verse principles. The garden at WehesleS'
Mass. shown in Plate LXXXv recalls the
quaint fancy of English topary work There
is a suggestion of France in the Princeton
garden in Plate LIv. and for numbers OF the
schemes represented in this book Italian prece-
dents could easily be found. Yet, while MT.
Lowell recognizes the influence of foreign gar
dens upon our own. he points out that American
gardens must necessarily differ from those Oh
other countries, owing to our different climate
and our different manners and customs, adding:
Indeed, the distinctive charm of our native
gardens is due to the very fact that they are
adapted to our needs and our surroundings we
have given them an American character, and
yet have preserved many of the elements and
followed many of the principles that have been
developed In other lands by centuries of garden
building" Mr. Lowell has some interesting
things to say in the few pages to which his
text Is confined. He is all for a consistently
artistic treatment of the subject, and his ideas
are we'll worth the consideration of the reader
We note especially his protest against the imi-
tation of expensive materials by cheaper ones.
MARBLE should be MARBLE he SAYS; "stucco
should look like stucco and wood should pre-
tend to be nothing better than wood" He
might have added, apropos of Plate Xxx, that
there is certain incongruity in placing an
elaborately carved sundial of marble upon a
oy A-{cIx T,,t oft oil yrbf1a
stance OF this sort is somewhat disconcerting,
and while there are several other cases in which
we suspect that cleaning white 2ergOlas and
other constructions are of painted wood. where
they pretend TO be OF marble the broad i'm
preston conveyed by these pictures is one leay-
Ing little room for criticism.
Some of these formal gardens rival in dignity
their prototypes abroad. Our climate may be
discouraging to the introduction of certain trees
as artistic in themselves the most exacting
designer might desire. We may be obliged to
forego the incOmparably picturesque elements
which are contributed to Italian gardens for
example. by the cypress and the stone pine.
But our hedges and lawns beginning 10
equal those OF England, our decorative shrubs
have beauty all their own, and what is per-
haps most important of all. the construction Of
our gardens is controlled by taste as good as il
is flexible. There are gardens illustrated in this
volume which are imposing in their formality,
but never stilted. never artificial The frag-
ments OF ancient sculpture and the fine sundials
adOrning them. and the architectural features
generally. handled with perfect judgment,
SO that they fall readily into the atmosphere Of
nature and freedom which is chiefly aimed at.
on most American estates. moreover. there is
plenty OF room and the bulk of the work shown
here testihes to the Importance OF scale in gar
dens. Some OF Mr.. Lowelrs examples old.
but most OF them are OF comparatively recent
date. Lovely the latter are. the imagination
fingers with even satisfaction upon the
thought of the charm they will possess when the