BRIN(,ING UP A PARK THE WAY IT SHOULD GO 



ardour. Park designers and park superintendents, fortunately for 

 themselves, after a time become impervious to comment, critical or 

 otherwise, realising that it is impossible to please everybody, and that 

 if a man has too many masters he has none. It will be found, however, 

 that park designers are only too glad to confer with citizens who have 

 the development of park beauty really at heart; and public suggestions 

 might have a good deal of value could tliey be plu-ased in a way dis- 

 tinguishing them from the mass of destructive and complaining 

 criticism which comes to designers. 



Two Washington ladies, en tour of inspection of some new land- 

 scape work in the park facing their residences, were overheard to 

 remark, one to the other, regarding several panels of iris plants in 

 choice variety, " It's only old flag, that's all they would give us in this 

 neighbourhood." With such a spirit of suspicion and lack of apprecia- 

 tion pervading that neiglibourhood, it is not to be wondered at that 

 much of tlie planting remarked upon was soon trampled out by heedless 

 children, possibly belonging to the families of tliese very women. The 

 planting grew in the estimation of the neighbom'hood, however, for as 

 time went on, the best of the plants which had escaped the feet of the 

 children disappeared one by one, apparently lifted with considerable 

 care for transplanting in back-yard gardens. 



After innumerable experiences of tliis kind tlie park designer be- 

 comes convinced that the first step in park improvement should be the 

 offering of public lectures on the general subject of park design. Only 

 by the " bringing up " of the residents, and by the enlistment of their 

 active cooperation in the development of parks, will the best sort of 

 work be accomplished. As proof of this it has been found that in 

 neighbourhoods where parks have been purchased by public subscrip- 

 tion, such parks are never difficult of maintenance. Letters of appre- 

 ciation are received after any new improvement is made, and the 

 proprietary interest of the residents is so deep-felt as to cause them to 



44 



