for l\oieniber, 1923 



275 



Garden Design 



PERCY S. CANE in The Garden 



NJiARLY all new grounds, even though quite small in 

 extent, are composed of separate gardens, each hav- 

 ing its own particular character, and it is in this 

 subdivision and the proper contrast and relation of the 

 different parts that much of the art of garden-making con- 

 sists. Terraces, lawns, rose gardens, herbaceous borders, 

 and rock and wild gardens must all be correctly propor- 

 tioned to the total area of the site. 



As well as being of suitable size, gardens should be well 

 placed, that is to say, each particular garden should have 

 the proper aspect and be in the best place for that par- 

 ticular garden. Rose gardens should be sheltered from 

 the north and east and yet have a fairly open aspect. 

 Neither the rose garden nor the tennis courts should be 

 too far from the house. 



Much has been written about the respective merits of 

 formal and informal (or "landscape") gardens. Gen- 

 erally, gardens will be less formal in treatment as they are 

 farther from the house, although it will often surprise and 

 please to come unexpectedly upon some small formal 

 garden set amid the more natural parts of the grounds. 

 Gardens of shrubs and lawns, and so-called wild gardens 

 may, if properly planned, be some of the most beautiful 

 and attractive of all. 



Let us start fi'om the house and consider planting and 

 the nature of it for the different gardens. Xot too far 

 away one should have color, color for the greater part of 

 the year and a lot of it, and here let me say that if one's 

 gardens are set in woods or trees so that one has back- 

 grounds of green, one cannot well have too much color, 

 but if the surroundings are walls, one needs to be care- 

 ful. 



Near the house there must be finished planting with 

 nothing untidy about it. Flowers differ in quality, and 

 near the house one must feel no jarring note between the 

 tastefully decorated interior, and gardens that may often 

 here be something in the nature of outdoor rooms. 



For the permanent planting use such plants as Del- 

 phiniimTs (blue Delphiniums may often be used where blue 

 Lupins would seem too coarse), Liliums, perhaps Tree 

 Lupins, the various Artemisias (Southernwoods). Lav- 

 ender, Mimulus, some perennial Asters, Campanulas. 

 Scabious, Pentstemons and numbers of other plants. 



The plants which constitute the permanent planting 

 should be skilfullv grouped to form a setting for the bed- 

 ding plants and biennials that will be used for their con- 

 tinuity and freedom of flowering, and for the added touch 

 of richness they will impart. In the Autumn one may plant 

 great masses of Darwin Tulips midway or rather back in 

 the border, so that lower plants in front may partly hide 

 their stems and act as a foil to their lovely colors. As well 

 as Tulips, one could have Narcissi, but this family is really 

 more suitable for the more natural parts of the gardens. 



Numbers of Hyacinths can be planted in front to grow 

 close to the paving or turf, always in masses of one sort 

 by itself, and Wallflowers, but some of these are of cruder 

 coloring and must be carefully placed. Violas can be 

 treated as permanent residents and left undisturbed until 

 they become weak and straggly and need replacing, and 

 they will flower so earlv as to be in bloom with the Tulips, 

 that is, if they are planted soon enough. Double white 

 Arabis, Myosotis and .\ubrietias in their colors that seem 

 to tone with everything will also be planted for early 

 Spring effects. 



The fresh delicate greens of the permanent masses of 

 Delphiniums and other plants will, all the time that they 



are growing be the best possible background for the bulbs 

 and other early flowers, and after these have finished there 

 are a host of things to choose from for the Summer. Tree 

 Fuchsias are always useful, they need little care during 

 the V\ inter — to keep them secure from frost is enough — , 

 and they should be grown into as large plants as possible.. 

 Begonias (both tuberous and fibrous rooted), Heliotropes,! 

 Carnations, Marguerites, Zonal and Ivy-leaved Pelargon- 

 iums ("Geraniums"), almost all of the often despised 

 bedding plants can be u.sed here with the best results. 

 Only remember always that they are to be grouped and 

 never arranged as formal bedding, and grou])ed with due 

 regard to the scheme of planting as a whole. xVovember 

 may seem an unsuitable time to talk of Summer bedding, 

 but it is easy now to visualize results for future seasons. 



To turn to more permanent planting — the planning of 

 which is as interesting as it is hoped the results will later 

 on be beautiful — so far as herbaceous plants are con- 

 cerned it is well first to decide the height and habit of 

 growth that is required to obtain the eft'ect desired, and 

 carefully to consider the color scheme as a whole before 

 actually selecting the plants to be used. 



For reds one should be careful in the choice of plants ; 

 some are good natured enough to tone with anything, but 

 many reds are inclined to be crude unless carefully placed. 

 Blues are always welcome, and go with nearly every other 

 color except perhaps some reds and browns. Browns and 

 golds and yellows and bronzes may be grouped to make 

 harmonies of their own. Heleniums, Gaillardias, Torch 

 Lilies and the bronzy foliage ,of some of the Chinese 

 Pasonies can be most effective. To arrange interesting 

 and beautiful groups in the borders is an art in itself. 

 Having decided the color scheme as a whole, one may pro- 

 ceed to carry this out with a succession of groups each 

 lovely in itself, and yet all subservient to, and helping 

 towards, the general effect. 



It is imix>rtant to have as much green as possible for the 

 liackgrounds. In Nature one sees nearly all color as a 

 relief against green in some or other of its many shades. 

 The vision of a park with reds or scarlets as the predom- 

 inant coloring is too hot to think about, yet it is not un- 

 usual to see something like this in small gardens, where 

 bricks of buildings supply the red background with other 

 colors piled on thickly. 



In herbaceous borders it is better to err on the side of 

 having" the groups of one sort of plant too big rather than 

 too small. Delphiniums, Asters, Lupins, Hollyhocks, An- 

 chusa italica to be most effective, should be in groups as 

 large as the size of the borders will allow. It goes without 

 saying that most of these tall-growing plants will be at the 

 back of the borders. Some of the larger plants should, 

 however, be brought well to the front or the border will be 

 too regular in outline. Also it must be remembered that 

 form is even more important than color or, at all events, 

 that form comes first and color should be built on to it. 

 It is the tise in the best possible way of the wealth of ma- 

 terials, the interweaving of the threads of form and color, 

 that, to the artist, makes the construction of gardens so 

 interesting an occupation. 



Nearly everyone has his or her favorite colors and 

 flowers, but some colors can be more generally used than 

 others. Blues can be used almost anywhere, and in a blue 

 border or garden, if one's space allows room for it, can be 

 included as many as possible of its shades. If one does 

 have a blue garden, one should see that it is set in green 

 (Confiinird on page 277) 



