IV. Of the Rise, Progress, and present State of Gardening in Germany
296. The gardening of Germany, as compared to that of Britain, is, on the whole, inferior in the splendour of its productions; but it is nevertheless pursued in Germany with greater ardour, in proportion to the wealth of the inhabitants. If there are no gardens in Germany in the natural style equal to many of the parks of Britain, it is not for want of skill on the part of the Germans in laying them out, but rather owing to the obstacles thrown in their way by nature. The severity of the winters is not only adverse to the growth of evergreens and turf, but good gravel is scarce, and the best substitutes for it are too expensive for general use. The gardens of Munich, the public gardens of Magdeburg, and the names of Sckell and Lenne, prove that both the principles of landscape-gardening and their application are better understood in Germany than they are in Britain.
