INTRODUCTORY 5 



to permit his pride in the flowers to blind him 

 to the value of a garden picture. He sees the 

 individual but not the crowd. It were better 

 he should adopt the standpoint of the landscape 

 gardener, who thinks less of plants as plants 

 than as elements in a composition, in the way 

 of a painter of pictures. 



The garden, however small, is amenable to 

 treatment on truly artistic principles, and the 

 first thing to recognize is that it must be homo- 

 geneous. It should appeal to the eye as a whole 

 before it claims attention in detail. Every- 

 thing in the garden must be interdependent, 

 and the general picture must be distinguished 

 by balance, unity of effect, and a studied har- 

 mony of line and mass. 



If common-sense principles, based upon full 

 knowledge and recognition of the governing 

 factors of the problem, be allowed to control 

 the design, the result will not only make for 

 beauty, but gardening, in the sense of success- 

 ful flower culture, will be agreeable and plain 

 sailing. 



There must be no exaggeration of special 

 features, no discordant note to worry the eye, 

 no forcing of effects. The size of the garden 



