8 LANDSCAPE-GARDENING 



composition, to imagine a view with lights and 

 shades in proper relations to each other, with har- 

 monious outlines and colors- - in short, on his appre- 

 ciation of beauty ; and next on his success in grading, 

 selecting materials, planting, outlining open areas, 

 lakes, woods, groups of trees and shrubs, the selec- 

 tion and placing of herbaceous plants, and in his 

 treatment of water, rocks, buildings, and other 

 objects that may appear against his canvas. 



Certain rules should govern his work. There 

 should be unity. This means that from a given 

 point looking in one direction there should be one 

 picture and in this picture some special feature 

 should predominate. The rule of unity is violated 

 when, in looking out of a window, one sees two 

 vistas, two or more dominating trees, two lakes, two 

 valleys, two hills or two mountains of equal impor- 

 tance. It is violated when a garden with bright 

 colored flowers, pergolas and seats is made to com- 

 pete with a view of the ocean. There may indeed 

 be flowers in the ocean view, but they should be 

 incidental, like clover blossoms in a meadow, the 

 blossoms of apple trees, lilacs or locusts. Green 

 foliage, rocks and trees may enhance the ocean view, 

 helping to frame it or at least not competing with 



