THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



879 



sideration when planning the grounds, he names economy 

 first." This is of just importance and is due in a large 

 extent for the number and beauty of the English gar- 

 dens. As a rule, work is not laid out or undertaken 

 which cannot be easily executed and maintained without 

 taxing the resources of the owner. If a man can afford 

 hut three servants, his house is arranged accordingly on 

 the basis of what three servants can do thoroughly and 

 well, and he will not have a larger house unless he can 

 afford to have his service adequate. 



Applying these principles to gardening and making 

 use of the experience of generations of gardeners, he can 

 easilv foretell its proper maintenance. The results would 

 amply justify this course. The thoroughness of the Eng- 

 lish garden is the very root of its charm. 



The first thing in your plan is to see to shelter and 

 balance by forest trees. Perhaps you may have some 

 already growing; if so, by all means save them. This, 

 the arlDoricultural feature, counts greatest in maintaining 

 within the garden the sense of continuity and harmony 

 with the broader landscape without. To trees, more, per- 

 haps, than anything else, is responsible for that sense of 

 luxuriance and well being. 



Roads should rarely be straight ; they offer such op- 

 portunities for grouping trees and shrubs along their 

 sides that a vista can be provided at every turn. 



On a large estate the best general effect is obtained 

 by planting only one species of tree or shrub in a group 

 or bed ; this is in keeping with the greater breadth of the 

 larger estate. Pathways that connect important build- 

 ings around the house should be straight. Keep the 

 crooked and curved paths for the more remote parts of 

 the garden which are devoted to strolling. The house to 

 a certain extent longs for companionship after its own 

 kind, and therefore the architectural features, such as 

 the formal terrace, should be kept in proximity to build- 

 ings, for it forms a kind of break between the architec- 

 tural and horticultural realms. 



The same rule applies to the pergola. Too often we 

 see in a garden a pergola far away from the house and 

 a])parently leading nowhere. Let us have both formal 

 and rustic pergolas, for they form admirable supports 

 for roses and other climbers, but the}' were really meant 

 to serve as a connection between buildings ; let them lead 

 somewhere and we shall find our gardens will be more 

 definite and not have that strained feeling that is so 

 noticeable in some gardens. 



In many cases we are met with the statement that the 

 extras on the house have run to such an inordinate 

 amount that as little as possible must be expended on the 

 garden the first year. Nothing could be worse than this, 

 if a garden is expected. 



The first year's expenses must of necessity be heavv, 

 for roads have to be made, trees and shrubs planted, 

 lawns made and numerous other things attended to, and. 

 perhaps, mo.st important of all. the proper preparation of 

 the ground. 



Rather than attempt to dn too much and dn it pdnrly, 

 lay out on your plans just what you can di) tiioroughiv 

 and well with your resources. 



See to it that shrubberies and lawns arc trenciied three 

 feet deej), with plenty of good manure, well mixed in 

 the ground and a dusting of lime given which will not 

 only lilierate many insoluble plant foods, but which is in 

 itself a i)lant food. 



To say "trench three feet deep" sounds unnecessar\-, 

 but compare results, it is far better to take the extra 

 trouble, while on the job. to go down the extra foot than 

 to remake the lawns and replant the shrul)beries in a 

 few vears. 



.Much good soil can be saved by selecting beforehand 

 a place to store the top soil and one where it will not 

 have to be moved again and near where it will be needed 

 most; here the plans will come in useful. In planting 

 the hardy bcirder put your plants in "drifts," that is, long 

 narrow patches lying diagonally rather than straight, 

 and put enough plants together to make a showing. 

 These borders are too often such a maze of detail that 

 you miss the effect of color. Use white plentifully, for 

 white is the peacemaker among colors, and you will have 

 little trouble with harsh discords. The effect of gray- 

 leaved plants in conjunction with the blue and purple 

 flowering section gives us a very happy and pleasing 

 result, as the blues and near blues are much clearer by 

 the contrast. The brightest colors, the reds and yellows 

 should be used sparingly ; follow the rule of planting, 

 that the brighter the color, the fewer the plants of that 

 particular shade. To enumerate the many combinations 

 and arrangements for the hardy border would be ixjth 

 tiresome and unnecessary and not within the scope of the 

 present article. 



I think we all realize that the various features called 

 accessories are necessary if we are going to get all the 

 enjoyment possible from our gardens. Such things as 

 summer houses are generally best when built upon a 

 knoll, which has a good view of some particular feature, 

 but should be partly surrounded by a clump of trees or 

 shrubs or it will appear too conspicuous. Well-heads, gar- 

 den seats and statuary have their places, but should not 

 be obtrusive. A garden has missed something if it has 

 not a simdial ; that old-fashioned time keeper, whose value 

 was not lowered by only measuring the sunny hours. 

 Why is it almost everywhere vanished? It spoke of 

 moderate labors and rest at sunset and what a charm 

 there is to an old world garden with its quaint flowers and 

 sundial. Have one, if feasible, but see that it is of stone 

 with a good solid foundation. 



Statuary is a puzzling question to many, and no wonder 

 some have banned it. If you have a formal garden and a 

 recess surrounded by trees, there is the place to put a 

 piece of statuary. Let it be, however, a copy of some 

 celebrated piece and avoid the grotesque shapes which 

 are offered here and there. 



As summer advances we find ourselves caught in the 

 rush of "bedding out," and there is the question as to 

 whether it pays to any great extent for the labor put 

 into it, for unless harmoniously and carefully blended 

 there is no more harsh, crude and vulgar effect on a lawn 

 than the.se plants. Keep the beds at the sides rather than 

 in the center of a lawn if you want to get the full effect 

 of the size of the place. 



Use screens of trees and shrubs to shut off the boun- 

 daries, do not open the whole garden to view l)ut by 

 careful planting keep something in store and your garden 

 will be douiiled in jierspective. .After all, keep before 

 one, when ])lanning a garden, a definite aim ; endeavor to 

 keep it simple and expressing some definite sentiment. I 

 always look askance at the garden where thev proclaim 

 to grow a little of everything. l-"ar better grow a few 

 jilants well, such as the soil and aspect foster. Let us 

 know our limitations. 



"Though Ciod hath made everything beautiful in His 

 time, yet He hath also set the world in their heart s6 

 that no man can find out from beginning t<> cm\. the 

 things which Ciod hath made." 



THE APRIL CHRONICLE 



Will contain illustrated accounts of the New York and 

 Philadelphia Spring Shows. 



