136 THE PLAN OF THE PLACE 



ing, and puts the things where he and others 

 who like them may see them, objection could not 

 be raised. Some persons like painted stones, 

 others like iron bulldogs in the front yard and 

 the word "welcome" worked into the door-mat, 

 and others like barbered trees. So long as these 

 likes are purely personal, it would seem to be 

 better taste to put such curiosities in the back 

 yard, where the owner may admire them without 

 molestation. 



I do not mean to discourage the use of flowers 

 and bright foliage and striking forms of vege- 

 tation ; but these things are never primary con- 

 siderations in a good place. The structural ele- 

 ments of the place are designed first. The flank- 

 ing and bordering masses are then planted. 

 Finally, the flowers and accessories are put in, 

 in just the same way that a house is painted 

 after it is built. Flowers appear to best advan- 

 tage when seen against a background of foliage, 

 and they are then, also, an integral part of the 

 picture. The flower garden, as such, should be 

 at the rear or side of a place, the same as all 

 other strictly personal appurtenances are ; but 

 flowers and bright leaves may be freely scattered 

 along the borders and near the foliage masses. 



The use of flower-beds is so commonly misun- 

 derstood that I must expatiate upon the fact, even 

 at the risk of putting my reader to sleep. It is 

 commonly assumed that many people have no 



