144 LANDSCAPE-GARDENING 



positions being filled with an open, lace-like tracery 

 against a light background. At times this back- 

 ground is white, and the network of branches against 

 it is more beautiful than the finest etching. Again, 

 the lace-work of branches may be seen against a 

 brilliant evening sky of red or yellow and give the 

 impression of far deeper coloring than when such a 

 sky is observed entirely in the open. 



Occasionally, it may be interesting to have an 

 opening through the bank of foliage or boughs, 

 this opening being entirely surrounded with growth 

 and framing a distant landscape. Such an open- 

 ing, however, must be studied with care and placed 

 so it will not lessen the charm of the front yard it- 

 self. Perhaps it would be best to keep the open- 

 ing through the trees invisible from the house and 

 let it come as a pleasant surprise from some bay 

 or path where a seat might be placed. 



The kinds of trees and shrubs that should be 

 selected to form the front yard boundary will de- 

 pend on the size of the yard, the lie of the land, 

 the views to be kept open, the soil and the climate. 

 Preference usually should be given to existing growth. 

 An oak tree that has been growing for a large part 

 of a century is very likely to fit the local conditions, 



