VARIETY. 57 



it ere we betake ourselves to the blazing hearth and the 

 absorbing book. 



But even the winter does not wholly rob the gar- 

 dener of opportunity to please us. Indeed, some of the 

 most gracious products of the ornamental grounds are 

 those blessings which are enjoyed in midwinter. It is a 

 mistake to suppose that the ground must be all bleak- 

 ness and desolation as soon as snow falls. There is a 

 whole host of the evergreens to refute such a supposi- 

 tion. The variety of them is greater than the unitiated 

 might at all suspect. With them may be arranged 

 many shrubs and small trees which, though deciduous, 

 have bark of such bright and pleasing hues that they 

 may be shown against dark backgrounds in many cheery 

 combinations. Such are the Golden willow, the Golden 

 spiraea and the Red branched dogwood. A long list of 

 others mighu easily be made. There are certain corners 

 of the garden which are usually especially conspicuous 

 from the windows of the living rooms; and it is a juty 

 if part of this scene at least cannot be robbed of its 

 winter bleakness and dreariness. If such spots are 

 chosen for beautiful winter effects the designer has 

 gained another triumph in his art. 



There is some danger tliat the beginner in i^lant 

 grouping will make all his groups alike. This is a very 

 easy thing to do. To avoid it, it first becomes necessary 

 that the operator shall see the sameness into which he is 

 falling. This he can best do in his own work by direct- 

 ing his imagination to construct before him the various 

 finished groups. It is certainly unlikely that the indi- 

 vidual plants will be set in exactly homologous jiositions 

 unless the groups are set with a tape measure. But it is 

 not difficult, if the imagination be serviceable, to com- 

 pare the probable final effects of two groups, and deter- 

 mine with satisfactory accuracy if the two will look 

 alike twenty years hence. Aside from the ability to see 



