YARD DECORATION. 



find more or less regular rows of shrubs 

 or evergreens, dotting it over without the 

 slightest purpose or aim in the way of 

 making a beautiful whole. Prof. Bailey 

 says that every yard should be a picture, 

 and by way of contrast draws attention 

 to Fig. 1056, "where the central idea is 

 the residence with a warm open green- 

 sward in front of it. The same trees 

 and bushes which were scattered hap- 

 hazard in Fig. 1055, are massed into a 

 frame work lo give effectiveness to the 

 picture of home and comfort." 



To quote Mr. Bailey still farther : 

 The making of a good and 

 spacious lawn, is the very fir>: 

 practical consideration in 

 landscape garden. This pri 

 vided, the gardener conceive 

 what is the dominant and cen 

 ral feature in the place, an> 

 then throws the entire premises 

 into subordination with thisfea- 

 ture. In home grounds this 

 central feature is the house. To 

 scatter trees and bushes over 

 the area defeats the fundamen- 

 tal purpose of the place, — the 

 purpose to make every part of 

 the grounds lead up to the home and lo 

 accentuate its home likeness. Keep the 

 centre of the place open. Plant the 



borders. Avoid all disconnec- 

 ted, cheap, patchy, and curious 

 effects. 



It is not enough that the 

 bushes be planted in masses. 

 They must be kept in masses 

 by letting them grow freely in 

 a natural manner. The prun- 

 ng knife is the most inveterate 

 ' nemy of shrubbery. 



Flowers appear to the best 

 advantage when seen against 

 \ri a back ground of foliage, and 



they are then, also, an integ- 

 ral part of the picture. 



The flower garden, as such, should be 

 at the rear or the side of a place, the 

 same as all other strictly personal appur- 

 tenances are ; but flowers and bright 

 leaves may be freely scattered along the 

 borders and near the foliage masses. 



What kinds of shrubs and flowers 

 shall I plant ? This is wholly a secon- 

 dary and largely personal consideration. 

 Be sure that the main plantings are made 

 up of hardy and vigorous species, and 

 have lots of them. Then get the things 

 which you like. I like bull-thistles, 



.,-'?fg 



-^,,^- 



i Me 



Fig. 1056. — Tue Propeu or Pictorial 

 Pla.ntiso. 

 lilacs, hollyhocks, burdocks, rhubarb, 

 dogwoods, spireas, elders and such care- 

 less things. But others have better 



49 



