Formal gardening is a sort of compromise between natural gardening and architecture. As I am not an architect I scarcely feel competent to discuss the subject. Edward Kemp, a celebrated English gardener, speaks of it in this manner, - "Doubtless the geometrical style is that which an architect would most naturally prefer; for it subordinates everything to the house, and is a carrying out of the principles common to both itself and architecture. A series of straight lines, joining one another at right angles, and of beds in which some form of a circle or a parallelogram is always apparent, or which fit into any regular figure, are, as just before remarked, the leading and most expressive features of this style. Flights of steps, balustraded walls, terrace banks, symmetry and correspondence of parts, circles, ovals, oblong and angular beds, exotic forms of vegetation, raised platforms and sunken panels are some of the materials with which it deals".

The formal style of gardening is adapted to the grounds of public buildings, especially those of classic design, and to small places where there is not room to produce any general landscape effect, such as homes in cities and towns. In all cases the architectural idea is dominant and the vegetation is more or less subservient.

Where the dwelling or public building is large a terrace is often made which may entirely surround it; at least it should do so at the front and sides. This may be of considerable width; it can join the level of the grounds by a sharp slope of turf or by a parapet or wall, and in elaborate designs this is usually surmounted by a balustrade. This parapet and balustrade should be made of stone or concrete, as wood is too cheap-looking for such a place and it decays too soon. The terrace may be wide enough so that beds of low growing ornamental plants can be put out in it, or the whole may be closely cropped lawn.

Usually the approach to the main building is broad and straight; the grounds are laid out in squares, parallelograms, circles or ellipses; in short, in strictly geometrical designs. Ordinarily the design on the one side of the approach is exactly like that on the other.

The walks are highly finished and often bordered with some kind of low growing plant; sometimes merely with close cropped turf. In some cases low hedges border the walks. In the cooler part of Florida the different forms of box or the privets will be found useful for such purposes; farther south the Alternantheras will make fine borders and Phyllanthus nivosus will produce admirable hedges. The Acalyphas make attractive hedges in the most tropical part of the state.

In some cases the main figure in a geometrical garden may be made in the form of a large square or parallelogram; the ends or corners can be rounded or square. Around this design a broad path or roadway is made and the main pattern can either be left entire or subdivided by narrower walks. Often this main design is wholly or in part sunk below the level of the main surrounding walk, as if it were a picture set within a frame. This central part may be wholly of closely cut lawn, or it may have one or more fountains or choice pieces of statuary or a few neat beds of low growing plants. Around its border there might be planted formal looking large plants or even trees in case the design is a large one. Such things as Phoenix canariensis, P. dactylifera, Cycas of different species, Yuccas, Dioon, in fact most of the Cycads, some of the Dracaenas, Cordyline indivisa and C. australis and a number of other formal looking plants will look well in such situations if kept in good shape. This large central design may be located immediately in front of the central structure or at one side of it.

Outside of the broad path or roadway between it and the wall enclosing the whole a wide border may be planted. This should consist of low growing stuff nearest the walk; farther back larger growers may be put in and the back part or outside of the planting can be moderate sized trees. This outer border need not be kept in such regularity as is the inner part. In fact the growth in it may be allowed to become somewhat irregular.

Sometimes the owner of a large place which has been planted in the natural way may want a piece of formal garden, a flower garden perchance. This can be placed to one side and screened off from the more natural part by a wide border of planting, irregular on the outside and more evenly finished on the inside.

One of the fine examples of geometrical gardening is the grounds of the Casino at Monte Carlo, France. The garden at Mount Vernon, the former home of Washington, is an example in our own country of the old-fashioned formal style of gardening. In it are closely sheared hedges, some of them straight, others made into a variety of more or less intricate patterns.

It may be well for those who have only a city or town lot to adopt the formal style of decoration in a greater or less degree. The front walk had best run from the main entrance to the road or street and at right angles with the house. If desired some kind of geometric design could be made on each side of it, either in the way of plant beds or a simple affair bordered with some such thing as Alternanthera, Alyssum, Echeveria or box.

To my mind the specimens of sheared trees and shrubs which we sometimes see in formal grounds are simply monstrosities. They certainly do not represent nature and they are atrocities as art. It may be allowable sometimes to shear a couple of trees or shrubs at the entrance of a formal garden so that with training they will form an arch, but what beauty or sense is there in mutilating with the shears an acre or more of trees as is seen in some of the so-called Italian gardens?

Remember that whatever is attempted in formal gardening should be honest. Unless one is a master at designing the plan had better be simple, and simplicity often marks the work of a great designer. The geometrical garden is a picture and the picture should represent something; it should not be spoiled by frivolities and absurdities.