THE PRACTICAL FLOWER GARDEN 



however, except where the house is elaborate 

 or Italian in style, more attractive, partic- 

 ularly if the house is not immediately adja- 

 cent to the garden, but is surrounded only by 

 green lawn and shrubbery. When an Italian 

 garden is spread before a house of French or 

 Italian architecture, the terrace must natu- 

 rally be adorned with formal balustrades and 

 whatever effects may be in keeping with house 

 and garden of such design. Formerly, many 

 flowers were grown close about our own old 

 house, but for years they have been banished 

 to a distance, except those grown in pots for 

 terrace decoration, and only ferns, rhododen- 

 drons, small evergreens, trees and vines grow 

 near. This may be considered severe treat- 

 ment, but flowers are grown in such abundance 

 elsewhere that the change is an improvement. 

 A few flowering plants, especially grown in 

 pots for decoration of terraces or verandas, 

 add greatly to their attraction, and are per- 

 haps a survival of the use of the terrace in 

 early times as a garden spot. 



154 



