6 LANDSCAPE-GARDENING 



The landscape-gardener works in the same way. 

 He studies the out-of-doors. He looks at nature 

 on lines usually varying but a few degrees from the 

 horizontal. He notes the sky lines, the masses of foli- 

 age, the lights and shadows, the varying colors and 

 shapes of leaves and flowers, the lay of the land, the 

 reflections in water. He learns the things that make 

 a view pleasing, and then when he grades lands, 

 plants trees, shrubs, and flowers, introduces water, 

 rocks, or other objects, he makes use of the pleasing 

 effects he has learned to produce pleasing scenery 

 appropriate to the situation and the locality. His 

 canvas, the background for his work, is the sky. 

 Against this he may see the earth itself, the ocean, 

 mountains, hills, prairies, or forests. Against this 

 canvas he plants trees and other objects to form a 

 pleasing composition, a picture if you will, and if 

 he is wise and has the opportunity he will leave a 

 generous open space on his canvas for nature to fill in 

 with clouds and sunshine, with stars and moonlight. 



Nature indeed is a most helpful and willing partner 

 in all the real work of a landscape-gardener, and also 

 his best teacher. She teaches other artists as well, 

 but for the one who tries to help her in beautifying 

 the earth or in keeping it beautiful, she produces 



