Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1913-02-18
AND MARYLAND GAZETTE
LIS. ND, TUESDAY FEBRUARY IS. 1913.

The lecturer then described some
Of the typical gardens. among them
the Lanate az Bagnaia. with their
gateways, flower beds, casinos and
levels planted with trees, the upper
portions blending into the forests
and thickets OF the hillsides, and
dweit upon the art with which each
OF these features was adapted TO its
own particular site and environment.
The most beautiful and distinctive
element of the Italian gardens was
the use OF water in fountains and cas-
cades, in which the smallest amount
OF water was made to produce the
maximum of decorative effect, and
accompanying the wanderer to, lead
ing from terrace to terrace with a
sparkle sSd musical tinkle. like
the ever-recurring tlleme Of a sym
phony that links the whole compo-
sition into a harmonious whole.
The most colossal example of this
water art is found ia the Caserta
Palace near Naples, which, however,
was Influenced by the French designs
at Versailles.
Differing from the Italian art If
gardening is that Of the French
garden, well worth study and, in
many respects, better adapted for
gardening IN Northern climates. The
French learned their art from Italy
and remodeled and adapted it to
their own needs. The smaller gar
dens like that of the Luxembourg at
Paris are quite as Characteristic as
the magnificent expenses of YER
sailles and Fontainebleau, and are
more attractive to the ordinary NOR
tai The French are especially skill
ful in what may be termed smunici-
ipal gardening" Their city parks.
gardens and squares offer excellent
examples for imitation by Americans,
especially in the artistic use Of flow
ers, which are richer and more abun-
dant even in the tiniest squares in
French CITIES than among US. The
most monumental art of the French
is due to the genius Of LeNotre, the
gardener of Louis XIV, born 1918,
died 100. His greatest masterpiece
is Versailles, but in others as well as
in this Park he showed his genius in
giving expression to Louis passion
for the grandiose. The style of land
scape gardening which he created .ex-
erted apowerful influence upon Euro
pean gardens throughout the Eigh-
teent Century. Largeness Of scale is
Characteristic of his creations. The
frequent provision of large areas of
bare earth or gravel met with in
French gardens is q feature which
Americans find difficult to appreciate
or praise. On the other hand, the
floral eleme ut is cultivated with con-
summate skill.
The English gardens differ from
the Italian and French gardens in
their picturesqueness, for the Eng
lish are lovers of the open country
and are sensitive to the picturesque
charms of nature. The English gar
deas were influenced by the natural
istic and romantic movements of the
Nineteenth Century, and this infu-
enee is still strong. Englilh gardens
are always adapted to the scale of
the residence that they accompany,
and to the purse of the owner. One
rarely finds. therefore, an ambitious
scheme in ruin for lack OF means to
keep it up. They owe much TO the
damp climate and to the backgrounds
Of big trees and dense foliage out
lined against the sky, which is fea-
ture Of nearly all Of their garden art.
The art of making and keeping Iawr
has been carried by the English to
perfection, and nowhere are there
more beautiful examples than the
quadrangles and gardens of the col
leges of Cambridge and Oxford Uni
versitieg.
Illustrations of a number OF Eng
lish gardens were shown and dis
cussed, and the lecture closed with a
brief Characterization Of German
gardens and a series of views of
other European gardens, and a final
quotation from Bacon: Gardening
is the purest of human pleasures ;
it is a refreshment to the spirits ef
man. a.