5^ The Canadian Horticultur;si. 



THE COMMONEST FAULTS IN HOME GROUNDS. 



^HE one greatest fault with ornamental or landscape grounds, it seems 

 to me, is the lack of open areas of sward. The selection of plants 

 may be ever so good, and the location of the buildings and even of 

 the walks may be perfect, and yet the whole effect may be ruined by 

 purposeless arrangement of planting. This fault is particularly 

 noticeable in home grounds. Most yards are mere nurseries, — a 

 ■" scattered and meaningless bit of planting. I am constantly more 



and more impressed that the first and most important lesson to be taught by 

 the landscape gardener is essentially this : " Avoid scattered plantmg. Leave 

 broad, open spaces of greensward. The garden should be a picture, but this 

 can be attained only with broad, restful spaces." If a person once perceives 

 this truth, all other essentials of landscape adornment fol ow easily and natur- 

 ally. This is the core of landscape gardening. 



My neighbor has a front lawn forty feet deep and one hundred feet wide. 

 It contains about thirty bushes and trees scattered equi distantly over the entire 

 area. The result is that people admire the individual bushes, but never the 

 yard as a whole. There is no pleasing or continuous effect of the place as a 

 whole, no one bit of sward larger or finer than another, no variety, no feeliug of 

 seclusion, no picture. Yet these same bushes, if grouped about the sides of the 

 lawn, would have furnished the place with perennial attractions. 



Another '^ommon fault in the planting of home grounds is the feeling. that 

 shrubs are desirable in" proportion as they have beautiful flowers. But flowers 

 are temporary at best, while the bush itself should be a source of pleasure 

 throughout the twelve months. Roses, especially, are apt to be used too freely 

 in conspicuous places. There are few roses which make attractive bushes, and 

 the foliage is greatly subject to attacks of insects and fungi. While I should 

 not discourage the planting of roses, I always call attention to the fact that 

 their effects are of short duration, and that, therefore, the plants should be 

 considered a part of the flower garden, rather than a part of a lawn or land.scape 

 garden. Plant them well at the rear or at one side, and where the bushes 

 themselves, when flowers are passed, shall not be too conspicuous. 



Much is said and written against the habit of planting in rows, but instruc- 

 tion should leally begin farther back. The planter should be made to feel 

 that, first of all, he needs open spaces, and then that the best effects are not 

 obtained by a mere flower garden. With these two principles well understoo(J, 

 most other matters will solve themselves. — Landscape Architect. 



