HOW TO MAKE CITY GROUNDS ATTRACTIVE 



MAYOR 1. A. KI.I.IS, OTTAWA. OXT. 



WIll-'A' plaiiniii,^- the- iiniproveniciit and of which we say these are lovely or beauti- 

 beautifyinj;' of the grounds sur- ful, but vv'hat is lovely or beautiful with one 

 rounding a citv residence, the first thing to set of surroundings may be (juite otherwise 

 I'dkv into consi(ler;ition is the natural sur- in different surroundings. It is difficult, 

 roundings. The object should always be therefore, to lay down a hard and fast rule 

 to im])rove t'heni wihere they can be worked for all cases, as each place will re(|uire some- 

 into the geni'ral plan, and hide the disagree- what different treatment from any other, 

 able necessary features, such as sheds and The first thing we must consider are the 



fences, whic'h are always to be found in con- natural defects, .such as sheds and fences, 

 junction with city residences. which we wish to h'ide. These should be 



1 am strong^ly opposed to that kind of hidden by trees, shrubs or climbers. Next, 

 landscape gardening which consists in plant- we must consider our natural advantages, 

 ing a mnnber of trees, shrubs and flowers such as the boulevard and any trees or 

 at random, or dotted all over the grounds, shrubs there may happen to be about the 

 without any regard tO' Ayhat the general view place. Having got the frame of our pic- 

 ture, we must de- 

 cide upon ho'W we 

 \\ill lay out the pic- 

 ture itself. 



I am decidedly in 

 favor of always hav- 

 iivg a foreground of 

 lawn. The boulevard 

 can often make part 

 of this lawn and it is 

 desirable in many 

 cases to carry it along 

 tlie sides of the house. 

 At the back of the lot 

 trees or tall growing 

 shru'bs should be 

 ■planted, and if there 

 is a fence climbers 

 ■m i g h t be grown 

 The Home of Mr. Jas. Thorne, Ottawa, Cnt. ao^ainst it 



will be when they have grown up. The ob- We have now get our background, the 

 ject should be to make as perfect a picture front of our picture, and the siheds and 

 as possible, one in which the dift'erent fences taken care of. What remains to be 

 trees, s'hrubs, flowers and the grass will done is to fill in between these to the best ad- 

 form a part, but which when completed and vantage to complete the picture. The tall- 

 placed in the proper positions will make a est shrubs should always be planted at the 

 harmonious whole. A sure guide is one's back, and everything gradually graded from 

 own eye. Often we come across grounds the back and sides to the front. Every- 



Extract from an address delivered before the Ottawa Horticultural Society. 



iSS 



