THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



109 



It is a distinct extension of the dwelling house. It 

 should furnish more or less shelter. Its whole ten- 

 dency is to carry dcnnestic life farther into the garden. 

 Of course we must allow that, as fashionable pergolas 

 are designed, they do not always accomplish this end, 

 but I am suspicious that the pergola has not always 

 been fully understood by the architects who did the 

 planning or the suburban dwellers who paid the bills. 

 It is hard to tell the modern fashionable pergola in 

 all cases from the old-fashioned arbor or summer 

 house. My own notion is that there should be a dif- 

 ference in that the arbor or summer house shoidd al- 

 ways be a detached unit at some little distance from 

 the main dwelling. Whatever the name of this de- 

 tached shelter, whatever the architectural style, 

 whether simple or elaborate, whether cheap or expen- 

 sive, its real purpose should be perfectly evident. It is 

 to supply another attraction in the home grounds. It 

 should serve as a place where people may stop and 



have musical or artistic tastes. Or the place may be- 

 come a children's play house, and may indeed be de- 

 signed primarily for their enjoyment. If the place is 

 so fortunate as to abut upon a lake or practicable 

 stream, the family will of course want to keep a canoe 

 or a motor boat, and these would call for a boat house, 

 wliich may in its own way become the center nf the 

 outdoor domestic life. In fact, anything which will 

 add interest to the outdoor life about the grounds is 

 to be considered a part of the garden and to be pro- 

 vided for frankly in this way. 



The creature comforts of life depend largely upon 

 seats and tables. If the garden is really to he inhab- 

 ited, there must be places to sit. Perhaps the most 

 necessary furnishings of all are seats. In this respect 

 our American gardens are sadly unfurnished. Such 

 few garden seats as we see are obviously intended for 

 ornamental effect and not for comfort. I remember 

 w ell llu- (lerman garden of \\'ill}- Lange, instructor in 



THE CHILDREN'S PLAYGROUNn WITH SHELTER HOU.SE. W.'\DING POOL AX I 



OF THE PRU'.NTE GROUNDS. 



SAM I I'll. 



riMA- SHOULD PE FOUND ON MORE 



find rest, shelter, and an outlook upon the beauties of 

 the garden. It should lie in its way quite as useful a 

 part of the home as any room in the house. In it we 

 might carry on many of those pleasant domestic diver- 

 sions which now occupy the porch. We may play 

 cards there or serve supper, or visit with the dog. A 

 man might even meet his children there and 1:)ecome 

 somewhat acquainted with them. 



The fact is, that many of these difi'erent architec- 

 tural garden features differ from one another chiefly 

 in their names. Their purposes are exactly those al- 

 ready descrilied. That is, they serve to ornament the 

 garden, to add interest to it, and to give opportunity 

 for various daily activities outside the house, but 

 still within the home. Thus, if we were to s])eak of 

 the tea house in the garden it need not be anvthing 

 essentially different from an arbor. It may mean that 

 we will serve tea here on pleasant afternoons during 

 the summer, of it may not. 



In like manner the garden shelter may lie called a 

 music house or a studio, if members of the famiJv 



landscape gardening, who lives in one of the suburbs 

 of Berlin. In his snug little home-garden of about an 

 acre there were nine diff'erent stations furnished with 

 seats, and at six of these convenient stops tables were 

 added. No one could visit the garden without linger- 

 ing somewhere to sit and chat, and usually to have 

 some refreshments served. This garden was meant to 

 be lived in. 



Tables and seats therefore ought tn be furnished in 

 every gartlen just as they are inside the liouse. 'ihe}' 

 shovdd be placed at the most effective points, that is, 

 the points of best inlook and outlook. There should 

 of course be seats and tables in most of the garden 

 shelters whether those shelters be called tea houses 

 or studies. There may be seats and tables under shady 

 trees in sequestered nooks, and at all ])(iints where fine 

 views are to be seen. 



These seats and tables may be of any character. 

 The fine classic marble tables and seats which we see 

 especially in our American formal gardens are not to 

 be criticised. They are perfectly giod in their way. 



