156 THE PLAN OF THE PLACE 



plant them. But the planter may not know why 

 he plants. 



The first instruction which should be given in 

 landscape gardening, I think, is this: The object 

 of landscape gardening is to make a picture. All 

 the grading, seeding, planting, are incidental and 

 supplemental to this one central idea. The green- 

 sward is the canvas, the house or some other- 

 prominent point is the central figure, the plant- 

 ing completes the composition and adds the color. 



The second fundamental idea, I think, is the 

 principle that the picture should have a landscape 

 effect. That is, it should be nature -like. Carpet- 

 beds are masses of color, not pictures. They are 

 the little garnishings and reliefs which are to be 

 used very cautiously, in the same way that little 

 eccentricities and conventionalisms in a building 

 should never be more than very minor features. 



Every other concept in landscape gardening is 

 subordinate to these two. They are explanations 

 of the means and methods of making the picture. 

 Some of the most important of these secondary, 

 yet fundamental, concepts are as follows: 



Conceive of the place as a unit. If a building 

 is not pleasing, ask an architect to improve it. 

 The real architect will study the building as a 

 whole, grasp its design and meaning, and suggest 

 improvements which will add to the forcefulness 

 of the entire structure. A dabbler would add a 

 chimney here, a window there, and apply various 



