In my 1731 edition of the Dictionary, Miller distinguishes among three categories of gardens: Flower-gardens, Fruit-gardens, and Kitchen gardens. “The first for Pleasure and Ornament, and therefore to be plac’d on the most conspicuous Parts, i e next to, or just against the back Front of the House; the two latter for Service, and therefore made in bye Places.” While reading the entry on the design of the flower-garden, I was immediately struck by how many of d’Argenville’s ideas–expressed in the language of James and Miller--apply to Coe’s Alumni House Garden. Copied below are relevant excerpts from Miller’s Dictionary entry (original spelling and punctuation retained), followed by several observations highlighting the early 18th-century garden design principles evident at Coe. Although d’Argenville’s recommendations were intended for much larger gardens (up to 40 acres), Coe’s garden of less than an acre confirms the endurance of a French/English vision of the ideal garden espoused over 300 years ago.
1st, There ought always to be a Descent from the House to the Garden, not fewer than three Steps. This Elevation of the Building will make it more dry and wholsome. Also from the Head of these Steps, there will be a farther Prospect or View of the Garden.
In a fine garden, the first Thing that should present itself to the Sight, should be an open level Piece of Grass, full as broad as the Length of the Front of the Building, which may be surrounded by a Gravel Walk, for the Convenience of walking in wet Weather.
These Pieces of Grass should not be divided in the Middle with a Gravel Walk, (as is too frequently seen,) for it is much more agreeable to view an intire Carpet of Grass from the House, than to have it intersected by Walks. On the opposite Side of the Gravel Walks may be Borders four Feet wide for Flowers, which will sufficiently answer the Purpose of Parterres, and if from the Back of these Borders there are Ever-greens planted in such a manner, as to rise from the Borders gradually, so as to form an Ever-green Slope, it will bound the Prospect very agreeably, and where there are any Objects worthy the Sight, or distant Prospects to be obtain’d, there should be the Vista’s left.
Groves make the Chief of a Garden, being great Ornaments to all the rest of its Parts, so that there cannot be too many of them planted, provided they are not too close to the Building, so as to render it damp and unwholsome; nor should they be placed so as to obstruct the Prospect of agreeable Objects.
To accompany Parterres, it is usual to make Choice of those Designs of Wood-work that are the finest, as Groves open’d in Compartments, Quincunces, Verdant Halls, with Bowling-greens, Arbour-work, and Fountains in the Middle.
These small Groves being placed near the House, are so much the more agreeable, in that you have no need to go far to find Shades, and besides this, they communicate a Coolness to the Apartments, which is very agreeable in hot Weather.
It would also be very proper to plant some Groves of Evergreens, that they may afford the Pleasure of seeing a Wood always verdant in Winter, when the other Trees and Plants are deprived of their Ornaments; and also to plant some Square of them to be a Diversity from the other Woods.
It is also usual to adorn the Head of a Parterre with Basons, Water-works, and beyond it, with a circular Line of Palisades or Wood-work cut into a Goose-foot, leading into the great Walks and to fill the Space between the Bason and the Palisade with small Pieces of Embroidery or Grass-work, set off with Yews, Vases, and Flower-pots. . . .
The principal Walk must be in the Front of the House, and should extend from the Grass-plot next the House, to the End of the Garden. If they be very wide, the Side should be turfed next the Borders, and at the Ends you may make [openings and ditches at the foot of them] to continue the View.
If any Part of the Ground be naturally low and marshy, and you would not be at the Expence of filling it, you may in such Places make Bowling-greens, Water-works, and Groves, raising the Allies only to the Levels of those that are near them, and that lead thither.
When the great Lines and chief Walks are laid out, and the Parterres and Works about the Sides and Head of them are disposed so as is most suitable to the Ground, then the rest of the Garden is to be furnish’d with many different Designs, as Tall Groves, Close Walks, Quincunces, Galleries, and Halls of Verdure, Green Arbours, Labyrinths, Bowling-greens, and Amphitheatres, adorn’d with Fountains, Canals, Figures, &c which Sort of Works distinguish a Garden well, and do also greatly contribute to the rendering of it magnificent.
Also the several Parts of each Piece ought to be diversify’d. If a Bason be round, the Walk ought to be octangular. And the lake is to be observ’d as to Grass-plots and Bowling-greens which are the Midst of Groves.
The same Works ought never to be repeated on both Sides, except in open Places, where the Eye, by comparing them together, may judge of their Conformity, as in Parterres, Bowling greens, Groves, open’d in Compartments and Quincunces. But in such Groves as are form’d of Palisades and Tall Trees, the Designs and Out-parts ought always to be varied. But tho they are to be different, yet however they ought always to have such Relation and Agreement one to the other in their Lines and Ranges, as to make the Openings, Glades, and Vista’s regular and agreeable.
In the Business of Designs, a mean and pitiful Manner ought to be studiously avoided, and the Aim should always be at that which is great and noble, not to make Cabinets and Mazes small, and Basons like Bow-dishes, and Allies so narrow that two Persons can scarce walk in them. It is much better to have but two or three Things pretty large, than four times the Number of small ones, which are but Trifles.
Before the Design of a Garden be put in Execution, it ought to be consider’d what it will be in twenty or thirty Years time, when the Palisades are grown up, and the Trees are spread. For it often happens, that a Design, which looks handsome when it is first planted, and in good Proportion, becomes so small and ridiculous in Process of Time, that there is Necessity either to alter it, or destroy it entirely, and so plant it anew. . . .
Gardens on a perfect Level are the best, as well for the Convenience of Walking, as that their long Allies and Glades have no Risings nor Fallings, and are not so changeable to maintain as the other.
Gardens on a gentle ascent are not quite so agreeable and convenient, altho’ the Shelving be so little as not to be perceiv’d, for it fatigues and tires a Person to walk either up Hill or down Hill, without finding scarcely a resting Place. These sloping Grounds are also liable to be spoil’d by Torrents.
There is a peculiar Excellency in Gardens that have Terraces; because from the Height of one Terrace, all the lower Parts of the Garden may be discovered; and from others, the Compartments are seen, which form so many several Gardens one under another, and present us with very agreeable Views, and different Scenes of Things, if the Terraces are not too frequent, and there be good Lengths of Level between them.
Perhaps the most notable difference between the Alumni House Garden and d’Argenville’s ideal is the absence of parterres, which Miller defined as “the level Division of Ground.” These divisions were commonly constructed by the use of low-lying flower beds or evergreens, such as boxwood. Parterres played an essential role in 17th-century gardens, and Miller’s Dictionary confirms the continuation of that tradition. It is the case, however, that parterres lost their importance for English gardeners during the 18th century. Later editions of Miller’s Dictionary drop many of the parterre passages. By the end of the 1700s, the “natural” landscape gardening practices of Capability Brown and his descendants had swept parterres out of many (though not all) English gardens. Perhaps some year we will decide to add a parterre or two to the Alumni House Garden, but for now we’ll retain the open grass plots around the central fountain. What follows are some of the points where Coe’s Alumni House garden does adhere to those principles Miller inherited from d’Argenville.
• The Alumni House is elevated, several steps higher than the garden, and it does have a terrace,
providing a view of the entire garden. Coe’s garden is relatively level, and visitors will not find the walking unduly strenuous.
• When stepping from the Alumni House into the garden, the scene is organized around an open, level field of grass, as broad as the width of the building (a key point for Miller). Although Coe’s grassy plain is divided into quadrants by gravel walkways–contrary to Miller’s admonition–the uniformity of the grassy areas still allows for the eyes to engage with the borders, spaces inviting the observation of detail and ornamentation. The grass is surrounded by a “Gravel Walk” suitable “for the Convenience of walking in wet Weather.” Extending to the far end of the garden, the Gravel Walk is sufficiently wide so two people can easily walk side-by-side.
• Along the outer sides of the gravel walks are the borders of flowers and at the back of these borders are evergreen shrubs, ensuring the garden does not look completely barren in the winter months. Miller recommended for the flower beds to be four feet wide, but flowers now play a more robust role in English gardens, and Coe’s flower beds average four times the depth advocated by Miller.
• Trees are important “Ornaments” in Coe’s garden, communicating a “Coolness to the Apartments, which is very agreeable in hot weather.” In accordance with Miller’s recommendations, the garden’s primary trees–six flowering crab--are not planted close to the Alumni House but are positioned at the corners of the garden so they do not obstruct anyone’s views. The Alumni House Garden is also complemented by the two rows of ornamental trees hovering over the garden’s north and south walls.
• The 18th-century guidelines emphasize the importance of a clean, clear design for laying out the chief “Walks” and the disposition of the primary garden areas. Coe’s garden is structured around a traditional quincunx design--which my OED informs me is an arrangement of five objects with four at each corner of a square or rectangle and one at the center. Within the garden’s walls, one can find Miller’s “green arbour” (the pergola at the east end of the garden), canals (in the rain garden), a simple labyrinth path near the gazebo, and several statues and such artwork as might add “greatly to the rendering of it magnificent.” Miller recommends water-works, and we can hope Miller would approve of the fountain positioned in the middle of the quincunx. What Miller could not have envisioned are the two smaller fountains, providing chlorinated drinking water for any visitors.
Perhaps it were well to end with a characteristic of the Alumni House Garden that would not please either d’Argenville or Miller. The Dictionary reminds gardeners that “It is much better to have but two or three things pretty large, than four times the number of small ones which are but trifles.” Alas, the current Alumni House Gardener is attracted to “trifles,” infatuated with diverse specimens of flowers when a few large masses would be more pleasing. His excuse is that we live in an era when so many flower and shrub cultivars are readily available. The temptations cannot be resisted. Perhaps some day he will learn that less is more. Until that day, let the seed and plant catalogs continue to arrive in the winter mail. ~Bob