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THE Situation of a Garden ought to be in free and open Air to the East and South, but South East is to be preferred, and the North defended by the House or tall Trees. The soil ought to be good deep and light, which if dry and warm, then level is most commodious; if cold and moist, the declining or shelving
towards the Sun is best; a loamy Land the sadder the colour the better, and best with a sandy mixture, but it must be mellow withal.
If your Land be not so naturally, it must be made so by Art,
As for your Claiy Land, make Chan∣nels to draw the water from it, which such Land long contains, and if it conti∣nues stiff cold and moist, then dig it often, throwing it on heaps or ridges, the Sun and Frosts will meliorate it: Mix with it a great deal of Sea sand, if it be to be had, for want whereof River or Brook sand, on the sand that the Land flouds have left, according to the quantity of your Ridges, filling the Gutters 'twixt the heaps or rows with old Thatch ei∣ther of Straw, Broom, Fern, or Heath, mixing it with the earth in those Trench∣es you intend for beds for your flow∣ers. Your Allies or Walks need not that trouble, for the barrener they are the better. Had you peat or turf ashes, 'twere excellent for mixing with this kind of soil, in want whereof any ashes may be used, but in greater quantity. Lime is good also, the bottom of wood piles sawdust, all sorts of rotten wood, or all
these mention'd, if to be had, often turn∣ed over, will make the best improve∣ment, not forgetting a considerable quan∣tity of old Cow dung.
Chalky Land, being also naturally cold, is to be improved by warm and light composts, and to be dealt with all as your Claiy ground, but more mode∣rately.
Marly Land, is cold and heavy, yet rich and deep, turning it up; often expo∣sing it to the Air turns it to good earth, but mix it with warm and light compo∣sitions.
Sandy Land is the best for your use of the four last mention'd, and best improved, mixing marle, the mud of ponds, lakes or standing waters, a supply of which it often requires; but mix not with it hot dungs, but make use of the most cool∣ing.
Towards some of these will you find your ground related, and accordingly must you use means to improve it, and sutable to the Plants or Flowers you in∣tend to bestow therein; and because dung is used in all, you must know,
That Horse dung is best for Plants of quick digestion and growth, for Trees or
Plants that shoot much in a year, for it yields a great fume, and they cannot di∣spose of it.
Cow dung is excellent for most sorts of rare flowers, if first it be thorow rotten, then dried and beaten to dust, and some fine fresh earth mixed with it.
Dears dung, is much of the nature of Cows or Oxen, but more proper for ten∣der and smallest Plants.
Sheeps dung, of the same nature; which put into water so much that by stirring may turn it to a pap, and when dissolv'd, mix with it fine sifted earth four or five times more in quantity than the Sheeps dung, this is an excellent compost for most fibrous rooted flowers, the tuberous also affect this mixture; such a mixture of Neats dung is good for the same uses, and better if you are forced to transplant a good flower in the Summer out of its sea∣son; for planted in it, the liquid matter so adheres to it so cooling and moist, that it will cause the plant to thrive as well as if it had been planted in its proper season.
Swines dung by their trampling where they feed, and by their often urining,
which by that means trod into the earth, 'tis so improved into such a compost, it allaies that rankness of some light and rich soils that breed Canker worms, o∣ther vermine, and insects that destroy your choicest plants, and is a rich fat and cooling manure succesfully used in Flow∣er or Kitchen Gardens, but most excelling for fruit Trees.
Asses dung comes near the nature of Deers or Sheeps dung, &c. but not so rich.
Pigeons, nay of all Corn fed Fowl, is primarily very hot, especially Pigeons, their dung laid in a heap in the air and moistned till its heat is over, makes a rich improver of your Gardens.
Mud of ponds, if your ground light, use stiff mud, if your soil stiff or cold use light or sandy mud: there is no Garden grounds but one of these is good for.
Saw-dust, after it hath lain in a moist place till rotten, having its sharpness a∣bated, hath the nature of Rotten wood, or wood pile dust, but the chiefest is rot∣ten Willow or Willow earth, to make a light soil for fibrous rooted flowers and cheifly for Auricula's.
Ashes are good, unless they have been buckt withal, then they are hurtful; but cheifly the Ashes of any vegetables burn∣ed are most advantagious, the Ashes of like vegetables you intend to set in the earth mixt with them.
Rotten straw mixed with earth makes it light and a pleasing bed for best Anemo∣nies, as well as other flowers with fibrous roots.
Green slime of standing waters dried and beaten small in fine dust, and then mixed with good fresh earth is very suc∣cesfully used in raising several sorts of flower seeds.
Of these several sorts of compost, as you shall stand in need of, ought you yearly to make provision, that you may have them ready when occasion to use them, as you will find in the following tract directed.
Thus for the earth in the beds of your Garden, for your Walks therein: First take away all good soil in them below the roots of any Grass or Weeds: fill them two or three inches with course Gravel
unskreen'd, laying it round and higher, in the middle, then role it well after∣wards with skreened Gravel, lay it two inches more thick upon it, keeping it in the same proportion as before-mention'd, roling it oft and well, but the sides next your-beds should be laid a foot and half or two foot according to the breadth of your Walk, with good Turf, from whence the heat of the Sun cannot be reflected as from the Gravel to the prejudice of the neighbouring flowers, making them much sooner lose their beauty and leaves.
If your Borders and beds be set with stone, which is the noblest and most chargeable, if well workt and moulded let it be such that will not moulder pil and crack, as I have seen many.
If set with bricks, which is next, let them be well burnt.
If with sawed rail, Inch and half thick at least, and five inches broad, if not well season'd, or new sawed, throw them in a pit of water for a fortnight, then take them out and dry them a day or two gently on a Kill, which will make them
ready for planing, and cyphering of the outward upper Edges, which when eve∣ry piece fitted to the lengths of work they are intended for, let them be well drenched in Linseed Oil with a Swines brizle brush, both the in and outside, if you grind some red Lead with the Oil, it will bind the faster and the sooner dry, which done you may put them into what colour you will, but the best is a light stone colour, by painting them over with white Lead and Umber, ground together on a Painters stone with Linseed Oil, it will not only look fine, but very dura∣ble when dry set together and firmly placed in the ground by being fastned to pieces of strong wood, set at such distances in the ground, that the Sun may not warp them; the rail three inches about the Gravel Walk, which cannot be quite finisht till that done, then fill them up with good skreened earth or such as hath been sifted through a Wire Rid∣dle, laying the earth round and higher in the middle than the top of the rail: For the forms of your plots, you have here inserted two new fashion'd draughts, the one for a square, the other a long piece of ground, out of which may
you make draughts either for round, or Oval wall Gardens of what size soe∣ver, which will by degrees come most in fashion, having the Sun-beams cast once a day on each part of such Walls, either outward or inward side, a great advantage to fruit planted a∣gainst them.
A is Gravelwalks. B is Grass. C is rail'd Borders fill'd with good earth for flowers.
This for a square Garden, you may make the middle there of a Circle unbroken, with a Statue in the middle thereof, if not a foun∣tain, and other Statues, one at each corner, or as your fancy shall guide you, but then you must cut off the innermost corners of the square as the prick lines direct you.
A is Grass, the rest gravelwalks, but the narrow borders rail'd and fill'd with
good sifted earth for flowers, if the middle be an oval undivided, it will look as well. This plot serves well for an oblong.
Were I employ'd a Garden to contrive, Wherein to plant each beauteous Vegetive; First then my Wall so fashioned should be, Each side and part the Sun each day should see: So that the Fruits within▪ or outside set An equal share of's ripening beams should get. A Fountain in the midst should so be plac'd, By which the Plot should not be only grac'd, But that one spring should force the water out In seeming show'rs of Rain, each part about Farther or shorter distance, more or less, Water to big, or smaller drops shall press, As the inclosed Plants or Flowers require; Gentle or fiercer rain, to your desire. Invented shades to keep out Sol's South flames, And apt reflections to inforce his beams, As Nature of each Plant shall want his aid, Or those that by his heat may be dismaid, Assisting Nature by industrious Art; To perfect every Plant in everypart, But not like some, whose crimes do rise so high Boldly to pull down Heavens Deity I hate that so sordid ign••rance doth dispence With making Nature God, slight Providence,
But let each Vegetive best ordred prove Such Letters, so may spel the God above, That men may read him thence, and make each Clod Speak God of Nature, make not Nature God: But Blaz'ner of's wise providence and power, First made, then so preserves each Plant and Flower.