GROVE, in Gardening, a small wood impervious to the rays of the sun.
GROVES have been in all ages held in great veneration. The proseuchae, and high-places of the Jews, whither they resorted for the purposes of devotion, were probably situated in groves: See Joshua xxiv. 26. The proseuchae in Alexandria, mentioned by Philo, had
had groves about them, because he complains that the Alexandrians, in a tumult against the Jews, cut down the trees of their profane.
The ancient Romans had a sort of groves near several of their temples, which were consecrated to some god, and called luci, by antiphrasis, à non lucendo, as being shady and dark. The veneration which the ancient druids had for groves is well known.
Modern groves are not only great ornaments to gardens: but are also the greatest relief against the violent heats of the sun, affording shade to walk under in the hottest parts of the day, when the other parts of the garden are useless; so that every garden is defective which has not shade.
Groves are of two sorts, viz. either open or close. Open groves are such as have large shady trees, which stand at such distances, as that their branches approach so near to each other as to prevent the rays of the sun from penetrating through them.
Close groves have frequently large trees standing in them; but the ground under these is filled with shrubs or underwood; so that the walks which are in them are private, and screened from winds: by which means they are rendered agreeable for walking, at those times when the air is either too hot or too cold in the more exposed parts of the garden. These are often contrived so as to bound the open groves, and frequently to hide the walls or other inclosures of the garden: and when they are properly laid out, with dry walks winding through them, and on the sides of these sweet-smelling shrubs and flowers irregularly planted, they have a charming effect.