PACIFIC TREE AND VINE 



THE FARM AND GARDEN 



There are many good yards, btit 

 there are many more that are dis- 

 appointing. Few are ideal. The 

 ideal yard must have seclusion, and 

 the ideal means of securing it is by 

 the use of shrubbery. Ours is cer- 

 tainly poor as judged by conven- 

 tional standards. The sward is by 

 no means beyond criticism and an 

 account ot the specific causes for its 

 condition, together with a story of 

 the struggles to overcome the.'^e 



A Homemaker's Yard 



structed (at the opening of the sea- 

 sou) in the route they are to follow 

 and thereafter are allowed to travel 

 where the> please. They are much 

 prettier so. Even climbing nastur- 

 tiums are much better if merely 

 given a slight hint as to where 

 they are wanted by being sown in a 

 particular location, and then left to 

 fill their space as they themselves 

 elect. Vines know much better 

 what to do than any one can teach 



seem to be grateful for their free- 

 dom. Some of the old trees exhibit 

 a rather too monotonous tendency 

 to bare trunks. It is not their 

 fault. Tluy are being brought into 

 relation with other things by being 

 shielded with vines and shrubs, 

 and they take very kindly to the 

 innovation In time they will have 

 adapted them.selves fully to the 

 place. 



For the rest, there is variety of 



peculiar difficulties, would fill a 

 book. But, after all, it is a good 

 place, good to look at and good to 

 live in. Everything has been dug 

 up at least once in seven years and 

 set somewhere else — that is, every- 

 thing except the old trees — and 

 most of the things have been moved 

 several times within that period. 

 They are likely to repeat the ex- 

 perience. That is half the fun of 

 having a little place. 



But if it is so impertect, why is it 

 satisfying? Largely becau.se it is 

 usable, and because the nonde- 

 .script collection of growing things 

 grow for dear life very much ac- 

 cording to their own sweet will. 

 Vines are sometimes diligently in- 



tliera. fhen no one nips the ends 

 of the shrubbery branches, nor lops 

 the lower limbs of the strong, vig- 

 orous young trees. The inclina- 

 tions of the plant inhabitants of the 

 place are not constantly thwarted. 

 The human residents do not object 

 to character and individuality in 

 these agreeablemembersof the fam- 

 ily. If the plants were sheared, 

 every tree and bush niight be a 

 duplicate of every other of the same 

 kind and age. Then there would 

 be hard monotony where there is 

 now agreeable variety. If things 

 crowd, one shrub or tree ma)' be 

 removed without spoiling any plan 

 of symmetry or interfering with anj' 

 hard and fast design. The plants 



light and .shade; there is seclusion; 

 there is enough irregularity of line 

 and mass to give pleasant mystery; 

 and there is always some flower- 

 spangled shrub, or vine, or i)lant, 

 or berry-laden bush, some flush of 

 changing color, as an accent of in- 

 terest. Snowdrop and scilla and 

 crocus star the fresh sjiring gra.ss; 

 violets carpet the ground under the 

 shrul)s; quaint Jack-in-the-pulpit 

 comes with the early spring; cltimps 

 of narcissi amplify the sunshine: 

 flowering shrubs take their turn as 

 va.ses or fountains of bloom; daz- 

 zling oriental poppies flame out and 

 are gone; stately iri.ses rise from 

 the mold; there are roses, creeping, 

 climbing and shrubby; masses of 



