building the american landscape - Univerza v Novi Gorici
building the american landscape - Univerza v Novi Gorici
building the american landscape - Univerza v Novi Gorici
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Despite <strong>the</strong> fact that Loudon knew of <strong>the</strong> American experiences thanks to his<br />
correspondents or reports sent by readers of his magazine, 236 he concentrated on<br />
what he believed to be <strong>the</strong> core of a cemetery project: “Churchyards and<br />
cemeteries are scenes not only calculated to improve <strong>the</strong> morals and <strong>the</strong> taste, and<br />
by <strong>the</strong>ir botanical riches to cultivate <strong>the</strong> intellect, but <strong>the</strong>y serve as historical<br />
records” 237 . This conviction had nothing especially innovative in <strong>the</strong> description of<br />
<strong>the</strong> <strong>landscape</strong> of <strong>the</strong> English garden cemetery. The publication of <strong>the</strong> ground plans<br />
attached to Loudon’s essay showed a self‐censored approach compared to <strong>the</strong><br />
236 In <strong>the</strong> 1841 number of The Gardner’s Magazine <strong>the</strong>re is a report by Alexander Jackson Downing<br />
about “Additional Notes on <strong>the</strong> Progress of Gardening in <strong>the</strong> United States”, pp.146‐147:<br />
“In my notes to you on <strong>the</strong> progress of gardening in <strong>the</strong> United States (Vol. for 1840, p. 642.), I<br />
accidentally omitted any allusion to <strong>the</strong> taste for cemeteries or rural burial‐grounds which has lately<br />
sprung up among us. Some of <strong>the</strong>se are exceedingly beautiful, displaying much of <strong>the</strong> beauty of<br />
<strong>landscape</strong> gardening in <strong>the</strong> natural style. Mount Auburn, near Boston, is one of <strong>the</strong> finest examples,<br />
and has been pronounced by good judges, superior in many respects to <strong>the</strong> celebrated Père la<br />
Chaise. The area embraced is about seventy acres, and its characteristic beauty consists in <strong>the</strong> very<br />
great natural variety of <strong>the</strong> surface, clo<strong>the</strong>d with a profusion of fine trees of indigenous growth.<br />
Open smooth glades are followed by shady and secluded dingles, and <strong>the</strong>se by wild and picturesque<br />
hills, all so rapidly presenting <strong>the</strong>mselves in succession, and so ingeniously displayed by winding and<br />
irregular carriage roads and footpaths, that <strong>the</strong> whole appears two or three times as large as it really<br />
is. There are a great number of elegant monuments in marble and granite, in <strong>the</strong> form of columns,<br />
obelisks, sarcophagi, &c., some of <strong>the</strong>m highly elegant, and a few imported from Italy at very large<br />
cost. Portions of <strong>the</strong> place exhibit all <strong>the</strong> floral beauty of highly kept pleasure‐grounds, while o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
parts have all <strong>the</strong> wildness of rude nature. It is a favourite resort of <strong>the</strong> citizens of Boston, and one<br />
can hardly conceive a lovelier place of repose for <strong>the</strong> dead. In <strong>the</strong> neighbourhood of New York, <strong>the</strong><br />
Greenwood Cemetery lately laid out for <strong>the</strong> purpose bids fair to eclipse Mount Auburn. In size it is<br />
much larger, and if possible exceeds it in <strong>the</strong> diversity of surface, and especially in <strong>the</strong> grandeur of<br />
<strong>the</strong> views. Every advantage has been taken of <strong>the</strong> undulation of surface, and <strong>the</strong> fine groups, masses,<br />
and thickets of trees, in arranging <strong>the</strong> walks; and <strong>the</strong>re can be no doubt, when this cemetery is<br />
completed, it will be one of <strong>the</strong> most unique in <strong>the</strong> world. Laurel Hill, about two miles from <strong>the</strong> city,<br />
is <strong>the</strong> boast of <strong>the</strong> Philadelphians. Instead of having been formed upon a picturesque natural surface,<br />
covered with natural forest trees, this cemetery was formerly an elegant country residence,<br />
bordering on <strong>the</strong> Schuylkill River, and displaying a kind of garden‐like beauty in <strong>the</strong> trees, shrubs, &c.<br />
Since <strong>the</strong> grounds have been applied to <strong>the</strong> purpose of burial, a pretty entrance gate and cottage for<br />
<strong>the</strong> superintendant, and also a neat Gothic chapel, have been built. There are innumerable<br />
monuments tastefully disposed in various parts of <strong>the</strong> place, and many of <strong>the</strong> small enclosures<br />
surrounding <strong>the</strong>se are filled with <strong>the</strong> most beautiful flowering shrubs and plants. The variety of China<br />
and Noisette roses in particular is very great; and <strong>the</strong>se, as well as many rare exotics, are trained and<br />
kept with <strong>the</strong> greatest care. Beside <strong>the</strong>se three principal cemeteries, <strong>the</strong>re are at least a dozen<br />
o<strong>the</strong>rs in progress in <strong>the</strong> neighbourhood of o<strong>the</strong>r cities. It is remarkable that <strong>the</strong>se cemeteries are<br />
<strong>the</strong> first really elegant public gardens or promenades formed in this country. In point of design,<br />
keeping, and in so far as respects <strong>the</strong> variety of rare flowering shrubs and plants introduced, <strong>the</strong>y are<br />
much superior to <strong>the</strong> majority of country residences here, and may <strong>the</strong>refore be considered as likely<br />
to affect in a very considerable degree <strong>the</strong> general taste for laying out and embellishing grounds.<br />
Hundreds of <strong>the</strong> citizens who ramble through <strong>the</strong>m form perhaps <strong>the</strong>ir first acquaintance with many<br />
species of plants <strong>the</strong>re, and apply <strong>the</strong> taste thus acquired to <strong>the</strong> improvement of <strong>the</strong>ir own gardens.<br />
Botanic Garden and Nurseries, Newburgh, near New York, Nov. 29. 1840”.<br />
237 LOUDON, John Claudius, The Gardener’s Magazine and register of rural and domestic<br />
improvement, London, Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans, 1843, p. 105<br />
142