Book I. On The General Principles Which Should Be Taken Into Consideration Previously To Laying Out And Planting A Villa Residence
Description
This section is from the book "The Villa Gardener", by J. C. Loudon. Also available from Amazon: The Villa Gardener.
Book I. On The General Principles Which Should Be Taken Into Consideration Previously To Laying Out And Planting A Villa Residence
1. Preliminary Observations
Though it does not fall to the lot of every one who inhabits a villa, to build the house, and lay out the grounds himself; yet most people who have a country residence, have the power of either choosing one for themselves, or at least of making such alterations and improvements as may render their abode suitable to their own taste or convenience. It is, however, to those who may wish to form an entirely new villa residence for themselves that we chiefly address ourselves; as such a case will bring the greatest number of general principles into action, and as it will be easy for any one who wishes to apply these principles only partially, to select those which happen to be suitable to his particular case.
2. The Choice Of A Situation
The first and most important consideration for every one who designs to inhabit a country residence is its situation; and this is as necessary to be attended to by those who intend to inhabit a villa on the very smallest scale, as it is by those who contemplate possessing one on the largest; for a false step committed in either case, in the choice of a situation, may be so difficult afterwards to retrace, as to be almost impracticable; and thus, nearly all the comfort reasonably anticipated from the enjoyment of a country residence, may be destroyed. How much the locality, the aspect, and the surrounding circumstances affect the culture of a garden, of even a single perch in extent, can hardly be conceived by those who have not paid considerable attention to the subject.
3. The healthiness of the situation intended for a dwelling is obviously the first and most important consideration. Situations differ in regard to healthineas, not only with reference to the constitution, of human beings generally, but they differ as to their suitableness for persons affected with, or constitutionally liable to, particular diseases. The subject embraces elevation, character of surface, exposure, aspect, soil, subsoil, climate and character of the weather, water, and a general capacity for improvement.
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