The English Husbandman / The First Part: Contayning the Knowledge of the true Nature of euery Soyle within this Kingdome: how to Plow it; and the manner of the Plough, and other Instruments

by Gervase Markham

Of the situation. Now, for the situation of the garden-plot for pleasure, you shall vnderstand that it must euer be placed so neare vnto the dwelling house as is possible, both because the eye of the owner may be a guard and support from inconueniences, as also that the especiall roomes and prospects of the house may be adorned, perfumed, and inriched, with the delicate proportions, odorifferous smells, and wholsome ayres which shall ascend and vaporate from the same, as may more amply be séene in that former Chapter, where modelling forth the Husbandmans house, I shew you the site and place for his Garden, onely you must diligently obserue, that neare vnto this garden doe not stand any houells, stackes of hay, or Corne, which ouer-pearing the walls, or fence, of the same, may by reason of winde, or other occasion, annoy the same with straw, chaffe, séedes, or such like filthinesse, which doth not onely blemish the beauty thereof, but is also naturally very hurtfull and cankerous to all plants whatsoeuer. Within this garden plot would be also either some Well, Pumpe, Conduit, Pond, or Cesterne for water, sith a garden, at many times of the yéere, requireth much watering: & this place for water you shall order and dispose according to your abillitie, and the nature of the soyle, as thus: if both your reputation, and your wealth be of the lowest account, if then your garden aford you a plaine Well, comely couered, or a plaine Pump, it shall be sufficient, or if for want of such springs you digge a fayre Pond in some conuenient part thereof, or else (which is much better) erect a Cesterne of leade, into which by pippes may discend all the raine-water which falls about any part of the house, it will serue for your purpose: but if God haue bestowed vpon you a greater measure of his blessings, both in wealth & account, if then insteade of either Well, Pumpe, Pond, or Cesterne, you erect Conduits, or continuall running Fountaines, composed of Antique workes, according to the curiositie of mans inuention, it shall be more gallant and worthy: and these Conduits or water-courses, you may bring in pippes of leade from other remote or more necessary places of water springs, standing aboue the leuell of your garden, as euery Artist in the profession of such workes can more amply declare vnto you, onely for mée let it be sufficient to let you vnderstand that euery garden would be accompanied with water.

Also you shall haue great care that there adioyne not vnto your garden-plot any common-shewers, stinking or muddy dikes, dung-hils, or such like, the annoyance of whose smells and euill vapors doth not onely corrupt and bréede infection in man, but also cankereth, killeth and consumeth all manner of plants, especially those which are most pleasant, fragrant, and odorifferous, as being of tenderest nature and qualitie: and for this cause diuers will not alow the moating of garden-plots about, imagining that the ouer great moistnesse thereof, and the strong smells which doe arise from the mudde in the Summer season, doe corrupt and putrifie the hearbes and plants within the compasse of the same, but I am not altogether of that opinion, for if the water be swéet, or the channell thereof sandy or grauelly, then there is no such scruple to be taken: but if it be contrary, then it is with all care to be auoyded, because it is euer a Maxime in this case, that your garden-plot must euer be compassed with the pleasantest and swéetest ayre that may be.

The windes which you shall generally defend from your garden, are the Easterne windes and the Northerne, because they are sharpest, coldest, and bring with them tempers of most vnseasonablenesse, & albeit in Italie, Spaine, and such like hot Countries, they rather defend away the Westerne and Southerne winde, giuing frée passage to the East and North, yet with England it may not be so, because the naturall coldenes of our Climate is sufficient without any assistance to further bitternesse, our best industry being to be imployed rather to get warmth, which may nourish and bring forth our labours, then any way to diminish or weaken the same.

This plot of ground also would lye, as neare as you can, at the foote or bottome of an hill, both that the hill may defend the windes and sharpe weather from the same, as also that you may haue certaine ascents or risings of state, from leuell to leuell, as was in some sort before shewed in the plot for the Orchard, and shall be better declared in the next Chapter.

Of fencing the garden. Now lastly for the fencing or making priuate the garden-plot, it is to be done according to your abillitie, and the nature of the climate wherein you liue: as thus, if your reuenewes will reach thereunto, and matter be to be got, for that purpose, where you liue, then you shall vnderstand that your best fence is a strong wall, either of Bricke, Ashler, rough-Stone, or Earth, of which you are the best-owner, or can with least dammage compasse: but for want either of earth to make bricke, or quarries out of which to get stone, it shall not then be amisse to fence your garden with a tall strong pale of seasoned Oake, fixt to a double parris raile, being lined on the inside with a thicke quicke-set of white-Thorne, the planting whereof shall be more largely spoken of where I intreate of fencing onely. But if the place where you liue in, be so barraine of timber that you cannot get sufficient for the purpose, then you shall make a studde wall, which shall be splinted and lomed both with earth and lime, and hayre, and copt vpon the toppe (to defend away wet) either with tile, slate, or straw, and this wall is both beautifull, and of long continuance, as may be séene in the most parts of the South of this kingdome: but if either your pouerty or climate doe deny you timber for this purpose, you shall then first make a small trench round about your garden-plot, and set at least foure rowes of quicke-set of white-Thorne, one aboue another, and then round about the outside, to defend the quick-set, make a tall fence of dead woode, being either long, small, brushy poales prickt into the earth, and standing vpright, and so bound together in the wast betwéene two other poales, according to the figure set downe,

being so high that not any kinde of Pullen may flie ouer the same, or else an ordinary hedge of common woode, being beyrded vpon the toppe with sharpe Thornes, in such wise that not any thing may dare to aduenture ouer it: and this dead fence you shall repaire and maintaine as occasion shall require from time to time, till your quicke-set be growne vp, and, by continuall plashing and interfouldings, be made able and sufficient to fence and defend your garden, which will be within fiue or seauen yeeres at the most, and so continue with good order for euer. And thus much for the situation of gardens.

Chap. XVI.
Of the fashion of the garden-plot for pleasure, the Alleyes, Quarters, Digging and Dungging of the same.

After you haue chosen out and fenced your garden-plot, according as is before sayd, you shall then beginne to fashion and proportion out the same, sith in the conuayance remaineth a great part of the gardiners art. The fashion. And herein you shall vnderstand that there be two formes of proportions belonging to the garden, the first, onely beautifull, as the plaine, and single square, contayning onely foure quarters, with his large Alleyes euery way, as was discribed before in the Orchard: the other both beautifull and stately, as when there is one, two or thrée leuelled squares, each mounting seauen or eight steppes one aboue another, and euery square contayning foure seuerall Quarters with their distinct and seuerall Alleyes of equall breadth and proportion; placing in the center of euery square, that is to say, where the foure corners of the foure Quarters doe as it were neighbour and méete one another, either a Conduit of antique fashion, a Standard of some vnusuall deuise, or else some Dyall, or other Piramed, that may grace and beautifie the garden. And herein I would haue you vnderstand that I would not haue you to cast euery square into one forme or fashion of Quarters or Alleyes, for that would shew little varytie or inuention in Art, but rather to cast one in plaine Squares, another in Tryangulars, another in roundalls, & so a fourth according to the worthinesse of conceite, as in some sort you may behould by these figures, which questionlesse when they are adorned with their ornaments, will breed infinite delight to the beholders.