7, the colour and texture of these materials being determined by th nature of the existing paving or material to which it will be joined. It i important to ensure that any paving is laid either slightly below or at gras level, and this applies where a step descends on to a lawn or a wall that i immediately adjacent to the grass. In these places a line of paving is laii against the elevation 6in(i5cm) to i2in(30cm) wide as a mowing edge whicl facilitates grass cutting and allows a perfectly straight line to be easih more conventionally shaped house, the hexagonal greenhouse is an attr; tive architectural feature, balancing the sundial and standing on an area paving with crevices for flat-growing plants to soften the texture of t stone. A raised scree bed retained with stone walls 15ั(ะท8ัั) high seems mc appropriate than a rock garden which can look out of place in a small f area unless it is kept low. It can be a satisfactory alternative that provide; place for rock plants; indeed, some of the smaller alpines are seen to betl advantage grown in this way than in the relatively rugged terrain of a ro garden. (See also Chapter 13, "Ways with Alpines", p. 138.) Where the land falls naturally to a lower level, a rock garden sometim looks exactly right and may seem to be an obvious way of terracing witho the construction of walls, but it will also represent one of the mc time-consuming garden features, for most of the weeding has to be done 1 hand. OTHER ASPECTS OF DESIGN Variations of the "S" shape can be applie successfully to many designs and give the effect that is needed visually reduce parallel lines of boundaries, beds and paths. This is a theme several plans illustrated in this chapter. It is a satisfactory way, for instanc to change the straight edge of a border into a curved line. Rounding off tr corners of a square only slightly usually lacks definition, although, if tr curves are sufficiently bold, a rounded end to a rectangle, which would be full half-circle, or corners of a triangle, can be usefully made. Lawns, like flower beds, can be kidney-shaped, circular or ovoid, but sometimes makes an uneasy relationship if the curved line of a lawn adjoin the straight edge of a path or paving. It also creates small, wedge-shape beds that are difficult to plant. To give the path and lawn a look of mutu; attachment the wedges can be paved with either brick or stone as shown i Fig. 7, the colour and texture of these materials being determined by th nature of the existing paving or material to which it will be joined. It i important to ensure that any paving is laid either slightly below or at gras level, and this applies where a step descends on to a lawn or a wall that i immediately adjacent to the grass. In these places a line of paving is laii against the elevation 6in(i5cm) to i2in(30cm) wide as a mowing edge whicl facilitates grass cutting and allows a perfectly straight line to be easih maintained, by thrusting a sharp half-moon turf cutter between stone and grass.