PART IV. 



CONSTRUCTING GARDENS. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

 PLANNING GARDEN IMPROVEMENTS. 



No one who plants ornamental trees and shrubs, or 

 otherwise permanently improves his land, can forsee how 

 far the results of his work will live into the future. 

 This thought suggests the importance of doing well 

 Tfhatever is done, as it is done but once for an indefinite 

 time. In building our houses, the appearance of tlie 

 finished structure is thoroughly studied from plans be- 

 fore construction ; we should act as wisely with the gar- 

 den improvements, which endure quite as long. Trees 

 and shrubs look small at tlie start ; they will not be so 

 always, and after developing into conspicuous objects, we 

 can scarcely count on replacing or moving them, if badly 

 located at first. Obviously the j^roper time to avoid bad 

 garden effects is before the work is begun. 



This can be done by the help of good plans, prepared 

 beforehand, in ample time to guide every operation in 

 garden making. It is better to have such plans, even if 

 procured at some cost of time and money, and if they 

 show nothing more than the locating of the principal ob- 

 jects, than to start work with no plan, or a poor one, 

 and to regret the results for years long to come. 



AVhere one prefers to make his own plans for garden 

 improvements, the way to proceed is, to j^repare a map of 

 the place as it now is, drawing it to some scale, such as 

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