A French formal garden
The garden of Le Nôtre (Vaux-le-Vicomte, Versailles) as Dézallier d’Argenville set it out in 1709: the château on a terrace, parterres de broderie next to the house, plainer parterres of cut turf beyond, bassins on the long central axis, bosquets of trees cut into green rooms either side of the tapis vert, a grand canal, and a patte d’oie of three avenues at the end.
The rules it illustrates
The order of a royal garden. Approach the house by a wide avenue of double or quadruple rows of trees; behind it lay the parterres of embroidery, then parterres of grass, then the groves with their walks and fountains, and close the walks with perspectives that deceive the eye.
The allée widens with its length. Proportion the width of an allée to its length: a walk of about 100 toises (some 200 m) should be 5 or 6 toises wide, one of 200 toises 7 or 8, and so on, so that a long walk does not seem to narrow to a slot in the distance.
One axis from the house to the horizon. Organise the whole garden on one axis from the centre of the house to the horizon; lay out the parts symmetrically about it, and use water, slopes and hidden changes of level so that the view along it reveals the garden by stages.
Where it appears in the book
In the styles French formal garden.
In the chapters Gardens and Landscape.