Winter Meeting. 319 



are very conspicuous, throngs of people walk out from town past the 

 home in order to see this magnolia tree in blossom. All expres- 

 sions you hear from them are these : "What a beautiful magnolia 

 tree!" "How^ charming its flowers!" but never a comment about 

 the rest of the grounds or the home where this magnolia is grow- 

 ing. It would be better if the magnolia were so grouped with other 

 plants that it would brighten a mass of shrubs, or that it would 

 help to screen off an unsightly out-building or fence in the rear, so 

 as to contribute to the attractiveness of the whole place. As it is, 

 one loses sight of the twenty thousand dollars' worth of home 

 grounds and lawn in order to feast his eyes upon three dollars' 

 worth of the magnolia tree. Rightly placed this magnolia tree 

 would contribute to its surroundings as a whole by adding beauty 

 to the entire place ; then the passer-by would remember the whole 

 home place rather than the magnolia tree. It is worth more to be 

 able to appreciate all the beauty in the twenty thousand dollar 

 home than it is to be able to remember only three dollars' worth of 

 the magnolia tree located in this home grounds. 



In order to secure unity for the entire home grounds, the first 

 thing to get in mind is that the house or home is the principal ob- 

 ject; that the next most important fact is the green grass or lawn 

 which surrounds it; that the planting for the most part of trees, 

 shrubs, flowers and vines should be to harmonize this house with 

 the green lawn that surrounds it, to make the house appear, if 

 possible, as if it rose out of its setting of trees and shrubs, rather 

 than as if it stood bleakly and barely upon a smooth, green lawn. 



Usually the line where the base of the house wall leaves off and 

 green lawn begins is a formal, straight, bold line; the basement 

 wall is likely to present a bold, bleak appearance; the angles 

 formed at the ends of the porches or between the front steps and 

 the porch are formal geometrical lines. It is desired to soften 

 these lines and the basement wall with masses of plantings where 

 possible. For instance, if vines are to be trained up about the 

 porch, they clothe it, take away its formal lines, make it look like a 

 natural bower of foliage and blossoms, rather than the geometrical 

 lines of the architect and carpenter. 



Masses of plants can be set by filling the angles between the 

 steps and front porch, or the angle where the end of the porch 

 leaves off against the bare wall of the building; or small round 

 masses of shrubs can be set against the corners of the basement 

 wall, or against any bold, bare, conspicuous wall areas which look 

 bleak. Sometimes the base wall to a bay-window needs softening 



