LANDSCAPE GARDENING 



LANDSCAPE GARDENING 1799 



These gardens (Figs. 2092-2095) may be considered as 

 informal formal gardens. The true formal architectural 

 garden would embrace much embellishment of clipped 

 trees, color balances and complicated design with much 

 less emphasis upon foliage and floral effect. This in small- 

 scale yards is generally bad practice, resulting in many 

 failures, because it fails to lend the charm so urgently 

 demanded in almost all problems. In the plans here 

 shown, there is formal treatment so far as balance and 

 instrumental lines are concerned, but the warming 

 influence of natural growth saves the garden and makes 

 it useful. 



Too little thought is given by house -planners to 

 adequate planting at base of buildings, the vital spot 

 oftentimes of uniting house and site. The want of 

 relief afforded by grouping of shrubbery and dwarf 

 evergreens at this ground-line is responsible largely for 

 that gaunt, cold, inhospitable expression many houses 

 present. Boundaries should be planted ; so also should 

 an area immediately about the house wall. Walks and 

 driveways should be kept at least 6 feet from the build- 

 ing; terraces should be arranged with planting space 

 against the wall or outside against the terrace. The 

 corners of buildings need especially to be supported 

 and softened. Plants of rich and striking character 

 are appropriate close to the house, even to sheared and 

 tubbed plants, used to support or embellish architec- 

 tural features, and close-cropped hedges of the nature 

 of boxwood used like softened building-lines. Annual 

 plants bedded out, or herbaceous perennials, serve the 

 purpose in summer, but fail from their transient char- 

 acter. Dwarf evergreens seem felicitous by being con- 

 spicuously present in the barren season. Vines upon the 

 wall or trellis, of course, are invaluable to relieve the 

 blankness and do so in the least of soil-space. The 

 softest possible wall treatment is a combination of 

 evergreen and deciduous plants with an allowable 

 interspersment in summer of flowering material set 

 in front of climbing vines. 



Concerning the details of developing a plan upon 

 these premises, different designers will vary in prac- 

 tice. For the amateur for whom this is written, it is 

 safe to advise at first a survey or chain measurement 

 of the ground locating accurately each tree, rock or 

 native element that may stand, as well as buildings, in 

 or adjoining the property, and views which for any 

 reason may seem undesirable or in any way less desira- 

 ble than others. These will be starting-points for a 

 boundary planting, for the location of a garage often- 

 times or even a garden to contribute to the effective 

 screening of the view. Draw accurately on a scale of 

 say Y% inch to the foot a plan locating these existing 

 conditions and with the house plan reduced to the 

 same scale proceed to study locations for it with con- 

 sideration of all that has been said above, and with 

 "sketchy" plans similar to those shown here search for 

 schemes that will accomplish the needs of the place 

 and bring out its beauty. Drawing out in this way 

 different schemes that may be possible, coupled with 

 observation in parks and private estates, will help 

 most in the outlining of tasteful borders and practical 

 unobtrusive walks and driveways. These with the 

 lawn are fundamental in home pictures; gardens, 

 pools, arbors, rockeries, are valuable in affording 

 greater interest and additional service of the ground. 



Much of the design depends upon the way the land 

 may be graded and, unfortunately, there are few rules 

 to lay down. It is quite simple to level and terrace 

 ground to a conventional formality; to grade natural- 

 shaped slopes is far more difficult to plan and to specify 

 on paper and depends largely upon the ability and 

 artistic sense of the foreman and overseer of the actual 

 earth-moving. A visualization of the regraded sur- 

 face is sometimes possible by stringing white cord from 

 point to point adjusted by taughtness or sag to fit the 

 desired levels. Drive grade-stakes into the ground to 



correspond to the cord and adjust the work accordingly. 

 The sagging cord will give the natural undercurving 

 line so essential to simple scenery. In either formal or 

 informal setting, the grade across the front of a build- 

 ing should be quite level unless it be possible to over- 

 come the unevenness by planting heavily the lower end. 

 It is not necessary that the front and rear corners 

 upon the same end be graded level, but even here the 

 appearance of unevenness is relieved by foundation 

 planting. Steep banks should be rounded over at top 

 and at bottom unless amounting to a frank formal 

 terrace, in which case the top should be a sharp horizon- 

 tal line. It is obvious that in any grading, the owner of 

 a small area should save his top soil to put back on top. 

 Grade with the subsoil to within 6 inches at the least 

 of the desired finished surface and use only good soil 

 in this upper layer, being careful in the operation to get 

 no stone nearer than a Toot of the surface. A caution 

 may be sounded also with respect to grading close to 

 standing trees, for it is important generally that roots 

 be not injured by cutting or exposure nor trees smoth- 

 ered by filling against the trunks. Standing trees 

 restrict lowering of grades but filling can be safely 

 accomplished by "welling in" the trunks by a dry 

 stone wall the depth of the fill. 



Grade and general plan being decided upon, details 

 of planting and constructions logically follow. When 

 the details precede, as often is the case with amateurs, 



2092. Uneven ground with old trees demands 

 informal treatment. 



unity in the place is usually lacking as a result. Fig. 

 2095 shows a plan developed from a sketch as sug- 

 gested above, ready for the workman to carry out, for 

 the nurseryman to supply the plants. Note the house 

 while presenting a welcoming front door to the street, is 

 arranged with porch and house-terrace at the rear 

 where possibilities existed. The lawn is arranged to 



