Garden Disposition of Trees and Vegetation

The arrangement of groups and masses of trees ought to be so made that they shall not divide the ground into equal portions, for it is important that broad spaces of verdure shall be preserved and contrasted by the less, being so proportioned that the larger shall be seemingly magnified by the opposition. Unequal gradations in distances of objects should also be observed: on this the effect of the aerial and linear perspective of the scene is greatly dependant.

When the ground consists of hill and valley, much beauty may be produced by disposing the forms in order to rise irregularly up the ascent, so increasing the heighlts, while the valley is chiefly disposed in pasture; for the seeming elevation of the hill is magnified by the additional altitude of the trees, so long as the valley is unoccupied. To abandon this advantage by planting the valley, would be a gross error, into which however many amateurs have fallen, or have permitted to exist, because they have argued that it must be right, as nature is less prolific on the hill than in the valley forgetful that she often leaves the valley and clothes the hill with trees, and is then most beautiful in her operations.