For February, 1922 



47 



A Lesson on Beautifying Home Surroundings 



ARTHUR SMITH 



FROM what was said last month it will no doubt be 

 gathered that landscape gardennig is very sharply 

 distinguished from gardening. The successful prac- 

 tice of the former depends on the practitioner having an 

 artistic temiierament : an intense love for Nature ; an 

 intimate knowledge n{ plants with their preferred en- 

 vironments, and upon being familiar with all the many 

 necessary preparatory details connected with garden 

 making as a whole. I^andscape gardening is making pic- 

 tures with plants : while gardening is the growing and 

 care of plants without reference to the picture. The en- 

 tire motive of the true landscape gardener is to make a 

 pleasing picture, which picture must have a landscape 

 or natural effect. 



As compared with the formal or architectural style of 

 laying out grounds, the naturalistic has among other ad- 

 vantages, that of giving an infinite variety of effects 

 extending throug'hout the entire year. As F. Schuyler 

 Mathews wrote, '"Nature puts so much variety into her 

 reality that she is more beautiful than we can imagine." 

 There is no monotony in Nature. 



Those who have studied and understand Nature's 

 method of grouping plants and who carry out the prin- 

 ciples are not likely to plan the monotonous system of 

 arrangement too often found in gardens. 



It has been well said that a landscape has three dimen- 

 sions — length, breadth and height. A consideration of the 

 lattter is of the first importance in avoiding monotonv and 

 unnaturalness. Those who have admired wild, sylvan 

 scenery, realize the delightful attractiveness of its com- 

 position. Although it may lack the more conspicuous 

 and strikingly Auriferous species which we ttse in gardens, 

 the effect as a whole shows very clearly what may be ac- 

 complished by good grou])ing. irrespective of the plant 

 material used. 



What a marked contrast to this is seen in many gar- 

 dens. Plantings consisting entirely of shrubs are made 

 and composed of a few species which grow into more or 

 less long, monotonous looking belts of about the same 

 height, with a flat, inartistic surface. Sometimes, to make 

 such cases ten times worse, the natural beauty of indivi- 

 dual shrubs is frequently extinguished and the production 

 of flowers is to a greater or lesser extent — according to 

 specie.s — prevented, bv shearing ; by this means a uni- 

 form height is maintained, and absolute ugliness created. 



The fundamental ])rinciple whereby a beautiful and 

 inspiring picture can be made is to have a broken sky 

 line combined with a billowv and wavy mass ; bearing in 

 mind in this connection what the plants will develop into, 

 rather than what they are when planted. Shrubbery 

 should always have some evergreen species intermingled 

 with it for the sake of Winter attractiveness ; evergreens 

 also make for more seclusion which is so desiralile in a 

 garden. 



While the above should be considered in all groupings, 

 the boundaries of our home scenery should be made, by 

 means of suitable plantings, to assume the irregularity of 

 natural outlines, and at the same time when possible, ad- 

 vantage should be taken of any outside landscape effects 

 as to prevent any limitation of boundaries to appear 

 from the residence ; this can generally be accomplished 

 by having one or more places where the planting is con- 

 fined exclusively to dwarfer species. 



Another bad arrangement is to make the boundary 

 planting follow the fence line so strictly and to be of 



such uniform width all along, that the general view is 

 not much, if any, superior to that of a mere hedge. Ac- 

 cording to the area of ground to be dealt with, more or 

 less pronounced bays and promontories must always be 

 a feature of belt-plantings, if for no other reason than 

 that they increase the apparent size of the garden. 



In following with the eye the salient points of scenery 

 we find it composed of lights and shades. These are 

 produced by undulations, and the undulations again are 

 produced by promontories and bays. While every effect 

 has its outline, it should be so broken that none can tell 

 where the boundary of each particular scene finishes. 

 The various impressions observable from lawn to sky- 

 line should group themselves together as harmoniously 

 as the leaves group themselves into masses, and as these 

 masses again group themselves into the outlines of a 

 fully developed tree. 



The question of straight avenues of uniform sized 

 trees comes to mind at this point. Unnaturalness of plant- 

 ing anything in straight lines must be obvious to most 

 people who give any thought to the matter. At first sight 

 a long avenue of trees may give pleasure through gran- 

 deur, historic association and age, but the same grand 

 development along natural lines would add incomparably 

 to the permanency of the pleasure to be derived. Walk 

 through the grandest avenue and it will become tiring 

 and monotonous to our sight long before the end is 

 reached, and it will certainly fail to afford continual satis- 

 faction. On the other hand a drive, however long, bounded 

 by naturally arranged and broken groupings will ever 

 satisfy ; never become tiring to the senses ; the ever- 

 varying light and shade will lend new impressions; 

 changes are created by every shift of sunlight and sea- 

 son, and it never fails to charm however frequently it 

 may be seen. 



The smaller the place the more objectionable do ave- 

 nues and straiglit rows of trees become. 



Throughout the year the unfolding and waning of 

 plant growth gives forth continually varying and charm- 

 ing effects, not only in connection with one species 

 planted alone, but more so when many species are planted 

 together. To plan successfully the landscape develop- 

 ment of land one must be thoroughly acquainted with all 

 the changes to be observed at different periods of the 

 year, otherwise there is danger of merely having certain 

 effects for a short period in Summer and nothing vi'hich 

 amounts to an\thing for the rest of the year. The aim 

 of the designer should be to create a scene which will be 

 more or less effective all the year around. 



A great mistake is sometimes made when too many 

 individuals of one species are planted together. It is 

 true that in very extensive plantings upon large estates 

 these individual groups may be larger than upon small 

 ones, but even then the margin of difference is small. 

 We should aim to intensify as much as possible the 

 changes in effect which the seasons bring forth by hav- 

 ing as great a variety as the area will permit, so that in 

 an\- month throughout the year we can discover subjects 

 for pleasure and admiration. W'hen the senses have been 

 gratified by one particular form and color, still others 

 should be found to carry further and higher this sense 

 of gratification : this may be obtained by passing from the 

 ob-ervation of the characters of one species to_ that 

 of others. Too much of one thing at one time — 

 however good that thing may be — creates an unpleasant 



