152 



GARDE^ERS' CHROMCLE 



Beautifying Home Surroundings 



ARTHUR SMITH 



AFTER the completion of a house, the grading 

 around it comes up for consideration. Very fre- 

 quently a good deal of money is spent unneces- 

 sarily in this direction, and which could be put to a bet- 

 ter use in making a garden, as in many instances the 

 money is used in ways which do not increase nor create 

 beauty. This waste is especially noticable in the matter 

 of terraces. Under no circumstances does a terrace in 

 itself create anything but discord in the landscape. We 

 have never been able to get the point of view of those — 

 unfortunately numerous — people who find something 

 pleasing in the idea of a terrace. Many, whose lawns 

 were, or might have been made, the most beautiful of 

 gardens, have spoiled them by terraces. For some un- 

 explainable reason some persons are possessed with the 

 idea that every house, no matter what its position 

 should have a terrace, and they spend large sums form- 

 ing terraces even upon level ground. Elaborate ter- 

 raced gardens in the wTong place prevent the forma- 

 tion of beautiful lawns, although a good lawn is one 

 of the most pleasing things in a garden. 



An insignificant looking house with a fine, unbroken 

 lawn gives invariably a better effect than a fine house 

 w-ith terraces in front of it. 



When a house is erected upon ground considerably 

 higher than its immediate surroundings, some terracing 

 may be necessary to alTord a sufficiently level space for 

 a drive to approach it and to turn round, and in these 

 cases a terrace becomes a necessary evil ; as it is also 

 when required for the formation of playing lawns. 

 When such circumstances call for the existence of a 

 terrace there still is no reason for the sharply graded 

 slopes like a railway embankment. Sharp, green angles 

 thus formed are the very height of unnaturalness. 



After we have settled the essential approaches and 

 levels in close proximity to the house, the natural form 

 and lines of the earth itself are invariably the best to 

 follow, and in cases where bad planning has been the 

 reverse of this, it is often well to face any labor to get 

 the ground back to its natural grade where it has been 

 disfigured by ugly or needless banks, lines or angles. 



The next thought is generally given to providing the 

 house with some shade. Frequently this is overdone, and 

 the house ultimately becomes so shut in that the neces- 

 sary circulation of air is prevented and in the early 

 I'^all before the leaves drop the house is rendered dark 

 and damp. This is more especially the case when such 

 trees as the Norway and Silver Maples are used for the 

 purpose. The dense shade these produce combined with 

 their roots also create conditions which prevent any- 

 thing else growing or thriving under or near them. 

 From all points of view these two species should be 

 discarded from home surroundings, as there arc so many 

 other kinds which not only give all necessary shade but 

 which also possess many prominent features of beauty 

 which these Maples do not have. 



In providing shade trees several points should have 

 consideration, especially with those who use their homes 

 all the year round. There is of course the shade ; then 

 there are species conspicuous for their floral effects, fol- 

 lowed in the Mountain Ash, as one instance, by brilliant 

 berries; then there are the beautiful color effects pro- 

 duced by the Autumn foliage. 



Autunui color affords us opportunity to have a land- 

 scape as spectacular and as gorgeous as in any other 

 season, and this point should be rememl)ered also in con- 

 nection with shrubs. 



The number of good shade trees without any ob- 

 jectionable features is large and wdiile it is obviously 

 impossible to mention all of them, we would like to call 

 attention to the merits of a few of the least used kinds. 



\\'e have always thought that the Oaks should have 

 a more prominent position among trees for this pur- 

 pose. The fact that they have not is to a great extent 

 the fault of nurserymen whose horizon is bounded only 

 by the commercial side of the question, and it is un- 

 douljtedly a truism that when commercialism comes into 

 competition with art, art always suffers. Grass and other 

 plants will grow under Oaks when they will not under 

 Maples, and their shade is sufficient for all purposes 

 without creating darkness. The two best are the Pin 

 Oak {Qucrcns palustris) with its graceful outlines and 

 the Red Oak {Oucrcus rubra), the fastest growing, with 

 broader leaves and more spreading branches: both are a 

 brilliant spectacle in the Autumn. The Lindens are 

 good, especially for large lawns, and their flowers give 

 oft' a delightful perfume and are much loved by bees. 

 The ruddy grown bark of the Lindens gives a very 

 cheerful Winter note to the landscape. 



From all the points of view by which one measures 

 the all round beauty of a shade tree we know of none 

 which comes up to the Sweet Gum (Liqiiidaiiibcr styra-' 

 cMua). Its star shaped leaves afford a unique feature, 

 and these in the Fall give wonderful kaleidoscope colors 

 of bronze, orange, lemon and scarlet. Among flowering 

 trees there are the Horse Chestnut and Yellow Wood 

 (Cladastris virgilUa). Catalpa speciosa is another one 

 conspicuous for its floral effects, but the drojiping of its 

 seed pods makes it a dirty lawn tree. 



In connection with places of somewhat small area, 

 the question of using fruit trees, apples, pears and 

 cherries, for shade purposes should be considered. Not 

 only are there no reasons against their use for this pur- 

 pose, but several may be advanced in their favor. They 

 may be grown to give as much shade as any other tree 

 of the same age; no trees are more beautiful when in 

 flower, and it is scarcely necessary to emphasize their 

 beauty and usefulness when in fruit. 



Considered as a whole the judicious plaiUing of shade 

 and ornamental trees not only afl'ords an abundance of 

 comfort and pleasure, btU it enhances the value of real 

 estate more than an equal amount of money spent in 

 any other manner. Persons looking for investments irt 

 homes are not attracted, but repelled, by barren home- 

 surroundings. There is always something charming in 

 the smallest cottage having a good selection of trees 

 j)rf)|)erly placed about it. 



Trees, as apart from shrubs and herbaceous plants, 

 should be the first things placed in position. They should 

 not, however, be scattered about the entire grounds, 

 planted in rows, orchard, or checker-board fashion. Alt 

 grounds, no matter how large or small, should have an 

 open space for lawn, and trees should be located, placing 

 the frees, in addition to those near the house for shade, 

 along the outer lines of the property, with groups for 

 any necessary back-ground or screen. In all cases it is 

 important to avoid planting too many trees, and in fact 

 too much of anything lends sooner or later to spoil home 



