J50 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



LANDSCAPE GARDENING-IV. 



'N the making- of fine gardens and the ar- 

 rang^ement of decorative plants, more 

 particularly those which are used for a 

 ci:^ summer decoration, there is room for 

 a ne^\^ profession, which even now is prac- 

 ticed, but is not distinguished from the prac- 

 tice of the landscape architect. It requires 

 a thorough knowledge of this very large 

 class of decorative plants, with the skill and 

 taste necessary to make brilliant, yet refined 

 and artistic, combinations, not only harmoni- 

 ous in themselves but harmonizing with their 

 surroundings. Such a profession has already 

 been called ornamental gardening. It is not 

 gardening in the sense of growing of plants. 

 To have the knowledge and skill to grow the 

 many plants and their varieties now cultiva- 

 ted, and at the same time to keep up with 

 the new introductions, will tax the resources 

 of a very active brain ; there are few that 

 can do it. Many gardeners are skilful in ar- 

 ranging combinations of garden plants ; per- 

 haps some of them would be more success- 

 ful at ornamental gardening or designing 

 than at gardening. It is certain that there are 

 landscape gardeners, and probably already 

 ornamental gardeners, who cannot success- 

 fully grow all, and perhaps can grow only a 

 very few, of the plants they use. 



There are fashions in gardens and fashions 

 in plants, and too often a plant is consid- 

 ered essential because it happens to be popu- 

 lar. The ornamental gardener who is work- 

 ing for an artistic result will not hesitate to 

 use the commonest weed, if it furnishes just 

 the shade, texture, or form that he requires — 

 the common burdock perhaps, or silver weed. 



The beautiful landscape of a park will 

 never go out of fashion, and the landscape 

 architect in producing such, uses plants as a 

 painter uses his pigments in painting a 

 picture. He paints in a broad way; the 

 minutiae of detail of the garden and the lawn 

 would not only be lost to the eye but would 



very likely defeat the very object he is work- 

 ing for. With him the garden standard of 

 value counts for little. Very common plants 

 like the willows, cat-tails, and sedges, or 

 even the common rhubarb, may make the 

 foundation of a picture that will challenge 

 the admiration of the critic and even of the 

 multitude. 



There is more or less fashion displayed in 

 the planting of a lawn; it would be better if 

 the vagaries of fashion were confined to the 

 garden, and that the lawn should partake 

 more of the character of a bit of landscape, 

 or a grassy glade, or opening in the midst 

 of shrubbery or wood, for it is not always 

 that the breadth of view, which makes up a 

 landscape, can be secured in or across a 

 lawn. It should have a beautiful fringing of 

 green, varying in texture, color, and outline, 

 with a frequent glow and constant sparkle oi 

 flowers, with groups and fine individuals 

 breaking out from the bordering masses, but 

 not interrupting the open centre of the lawn, 

 excepting to increase the appearance of dis- 

 tance. You would expect to use a larger 

 assortment in the lawn than in a distant 

 border plantation, — more exotics and more 

 of the garden varieties having variations in 

 flower, — but certain reliable varieties should 

 predominate and establish a character for the 

 planting which will be in keeping with the 

 character of the place. The position of 

 groups on the lawn will be governed by the 

 views and by the topography of the ground. 

 In general, elevations will be planted high 

 and depressions low, or not at all, to increase 

 their apparent height or depth. The plant- 

 ing would be arranged so that a slope would 

 be away from it rather than toward it. A 

 border plantation having an irregular edge 

 with points and depressions, gives more 

 opportunity for variety and more effects of 

 light and shade than a straight edge. Groups 

 and individuals would in general be used to 



