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sorted to. In some instances, very interesting gardens have been made upon very 

 uneven ground. Rocky outcrops and very stony ground have at times been selected 

 for cottage sites, as these are not good for farming, and, on the other hand, offer 

 possibilities for very picturesque cottage settings. All of such natural advantages 

 should be cleverly turned to good purpose. The characteristics of a situation are 

 the factors which make for individuality in the result. Both time and money is 

 saved if one takes the utmost advantage of original conditions trees, native 

 shrubbery, streams, rocky outcrops, and the shape of the land. A scheme thus 

 based upon and even developing the conditions at hand, has an air of simplicity. 

 In view of the liberty with which one may plan such country homes, that their 

 plans should carefully be fitted to original conditions would seem both possible 

 and highly desirable. 



It does seem vain indeed to attempt a description or an analysis of cottage 

 gardens. Writers gifted with the ability and genius to paint word pictures might 

 describe individual gardens, but the charm of the gardens has been said to lie in 

 their individuality, and therefore, however inspiring such descriptions might be, 

 new gardens could not be patterned after them. What, then, may one say of these 

 gardens, beyond a few generalizations? It already has been stated that they 

 should appear to dominate the cottage, that they should be intimately related to 

 it in elevation, and that beyond this there are few if any restrictions. Many 

 old-world cottage gardens were situated between the house and the road, usually 

 behind high walls and hedges or within lower, but none the less effective, barriers. 

 These have been called "dooryard gardens. ' ' This position was not an uncommon 

 one for cottage gardens in this country, and in fact one may still see examples. 

 If, in this area, considerable isolation is not possible, this location is not a suitable 

 one for the garden; but the question of its enclosure appears to be the only restric- 

 tion upon this use of the front yard. The extent of the area on this or the other 

 sides of the cottage is not of any moment so long as the entire space in gardens 

 does not appear small in proportion to the size of the lot. The gardens may be 

 fitted into any odd angles or spaces, but a sufficient amount of the garden element 

 is an important factor in the success of the entire scheme. 



Gardens must be relied on, in a large measure, to furnish the home setting. 

 The space between the building and the lot lines, on two or three sides, may not 

 actually represent a great extent of area; but gardens on the several sides of the 

 cottage, even if confined entirely to these areas, may require more care than can 

 conveniently be given them. If the cottage is at some distance from one bound- 

 ary, hedges may be used to enclose a space sufficient for garden purposes, leaving 

 the remainder of the area free for other uses. But it is important to devise some 

 means of obtaining a gardenlike and flowering effect and one which will be some- 

 what permanent and which will require the least amount of care. Flowering and 

 fruiting woody plants should be scattered liberally through the flower beds. 

 Vines on quaint trellises and not only deciduous flowering shrubs but also ever- 

 greens should be used. Evergreens should be trimmed occasionally to prevent 

 their growing too large, and the trimming will give them a horticultural and 

 gardened aspect. In the winter, the greens and the cheerful color of the berries 

 on shrubs and vines will indeed be appreciated. Strong-growing herbaceous 

 plants may likewise be selected for those plots, as their hardy and spreading habits 

 will not crowd out the shrubs and such plots will require but little care. The 



