Beautifying the Farmstead. 



49 



foundation should be exposed and the lawn should be carried directly 

 to these exposed portions, so that the building ATI!! appear to be sup- 

 ported. Success in planting is achieved when the buildings appear 

 as though they belonged to the place and fitted naturally together 

 and into the landscape. This is best accomplished by having them 

 rest in a mass of trees and shrubs (fig. 54) while standing firmly on 

 visible foundations. The corners are usually convenient places to 

 plant with tall broad clumps, and thes%may often be extended into 

 the lawns for a considerable distance. Angles formed by porches, by 

 steps, or by an ell of the building are other points frequently utilized 

 for such groups. Tall groups often may be used also against wide 

 places between windows, while only low ones may be used under 



FIG. fi.j. At this farm home there i.s nothing to clearly define the location of the 

 road. Compare with figure 56. 



windows. Care must be taken not to have the different groups too 

 much alike in breadth, height, and texture of foliage, or in " expres- 

 sion," as it might be called. 



To emphasize the feeling that the house belongs to the surround- 

 ings, the appearance of definite boundaries to the lawns should be 

 avoided as much as possible. On most farms it is necessary to limit 

 rather definitely the ground devoted to the home, but this limitation 

 should not be made any more emphatic than can be helped. As 

 already suggested, it is often possible to have the pasture or a 

 meadow adjoin the lawn with an inconspicuous fence between. An- 

 other help to this impression is to disguise the actual boundaries by 

 more or less continuous but irregular plantings along them. Where 

 it is possible, distant views or near-by landscapes should be made to 

 appear as though they were a part of the grounds. Much can be 

 accomplished to this end by proper location of the tree and shrub 



