Secrets of Ornamental Planting 



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there must be variety. We must have variety 

 in color, shape and size. By means of a 

 bright color or a tree or shrub with unusual 

 shape, we can incorporate accents in the 

 general planting. These accents will make 

 the entire planting more interesting to all who 

 view it. For instance, one or two Lombardy 

 Poplars with their very slender, upright 

 growth would give a pleasing contrast to a 

 planting of lower, round-headed trees. The 

 graceful, drooping branches of the Weeping 

 Willow, if not used top much, will make the 

 planting more interesting; the golden colored 

 foliage of Golden Elder (Sambucus Aurea) 

 or the Golden Syringa (Philadelphus Aureus) 

 gives a very striking contrast to the planting. 

 However, these must be used very carefully 

 indeed or else the contrast will be too striking. 

 The beautiful white bark of European Birch 

 is a character -which should be considered in 

 striving for variety. This also applies to the 

 bark of European Sycamore, one of the finest 

 and most satisfactory of all shade and street 

 trees for American conditions. 



Symmetry or Balance 



Although it is not necessary to have one 

 side of the planting exactly balance the 

 opposite side, still it is advisable to have the 

 general effect of color and mass on both sides 

 of equal value. The question of symmetry 

 or balance is of most importance when laying 

 out the garden. This we consider more in 

 detail when we take up the subject of "Gar- 

 dens" on page 13. 



Interest Maintained by Making 

 the Planting Intricate 



Landscape treatment of property may be 

 very carefully and perfectly laid out, but if 

 there are not enough interesting effects and 

 views it may soon prove dull and mono- 

 tonous. As we walk about the grounds we 

 want to see new views, unexpected bays in 

 the shrubbery something to keep our 

 interest continually aroused a.nd active. In 

 other words, we want to have a feeling that, 

 as we walk about the grounds there is some- 

 thing to explore some hidden beauties a 

 |ittle further on. In Nature's plantings our 

 interest is kept aroused by a feeling that we 

 are exploring; this is the same principle that 

 we must keep in mind in landscaping the 

 grounds by the naturalistic method. 



Convenience and Compactness 



These two principles go hand-in-hand. 

 The different parts of the home grounds 

 should be so arranged that they will be 

 easily accessible and convenient in going 

 from one part to another. These same 

 principles must be considered by the archi- 

 tect when planning the house. It must be 

 convenient to go from one room to another 

 without taking extra steps. The flower 

 u3rden must be conveniently and closely 



located to that portion of the house which is 

 most largely used, for the garden is essen- 

 tially an out-of-doors living room. By 

 locating the walks in the correct place, it 

 will prevent the wearing of paths on the 

 lawn. It is natural for anyone to go on 

 the most direct line from one point to another. 

 For further details as to laying out walks, 

 see page 14. On small places it is partic- 

 ularly important to have different parts of 

 the grounds planned so they will be most 

 compact and convenient, thus getting the 

 greatest possible use out of a limited area. 



Privacy and Seclusion 



Privacy is a necessary and sacred part of 

 family life. The private portion of the 

 grounds is the part which is probably the 

 most appreciated and prized by the owner, 

 the rose and flower garden, where the owner 

 feels he can relax in the bosom of his family. 

 Here he can walk and roam among his flowers, 

 confident that he is not observed by the 

 outside world. Only the one who has exper- 

 ienced the privilege and precious enjoyment 

 of a private garden can appreciate what this 

 means to the tired 

 business - man or 

 housewife. 



A Good Land- 

 scape Design. 



In making a suc- 

 cessful and correct 

 landscape planting 

 all of the principles 

 that we have ex- 

 plained above 

 enter into the final 

 and complete plan. 

 In other words, it 

 is a combination of 

 all the principles 

 and elements of 

 landscape garden- 

 ing. ' The final re- 

 sult of the planting 

 is a beautiful and 

 consistent whole 

 an interesting and 

 attractive picture. 

 Someone may ask 

 how all of the prin- 

 ciples can be com- 

 bined, also if some 

 of the principles 

 are not directly 

 opposed. Nature 

 furnishes the an- 

 swer. In Nature, 

 we may have unity 

 or treatment as a whole and also have variety 

 and interest. Nature's plantings demonstrate 

 the principle of simplicity. They also show 

 that intricacy is a part of each planting of 

 Nature. So it can be seen that this 



combination of all the principles of landscape 

 gardening is pleasing and satisfactory. 



A Few Don'ts for Home Planters 



Don't clutter up your front lawn with a lot 

 of scattered shrubs and trees. Remember 

 that the big, open lawn is just as important 



Perennials in a Formal Garden 



Give flowers and beauty from April to November. 

 Plenty of variety to be found in such a garden. 



A characteristic 

 planting for a large 

 estate or a park 



graceful curving 

 drives and natural- 

 istic shrub clumps. 



as any part of the 

 planting. Leave 

 plenty of views and 

 make them more 

 beautiful by fram- 

 ing them with 

 plantings of shrubs 

 and trees. 



Don't plant trees 

 too close to the 

 house. They should 

 be close enough to 

 frame in the house 

 and help to pro- 

 tect it in Winter 

 and shade it in 

 Summer. But re- 

 member that the 

 house inside will 

 require light and 



An Avenue of Picturesque Lombardy Poplars. 



A hardy quick growing tree. A universal favorite for avenue planting or for general landscaping 

 both in Europe and America. Gives accent and variety to the skyline. 



you do not want it too damp. 



Don't overdo the planting. Home grounds 

 that are made too elaborate will not be 

 satisfactory. 



Don't put flower beds on the front lawn- 

 Very often we see a round or fancy shaped 

 flower bed stuck out in the middle of a large, 

 attractive lawn. This breaks up the expanse 

 of the lawn and detracts from the picture 

 effect at which we are striving. The house 

 should be the center of our picture, but with 

 flower beds breaking up the front lawn, it 

 turns the attention from the central idea 

 and besides, these formal, or regular shaped 

 beds are not in harmony with the naturalistic 

 style of landscaping. Flowers and roses are 

 an important factor in Landscape Gardening, 

 but they should be in the garden and not 

 on the front lawn. When they are used on 

 the lawn, they are unattractive when not 

 in bloom and in the Winter these bare flower 

 beds become very ugly. 



Don't put unsuitable ornaments, such as 

 iron vases, iron animals and artificial metal 

 figures on the lawn. These are not in harmony 

 with the naturalistic style. The only place 

 that ornaments of this kind are in good 

 taste on the home grounds is in the private 

 portion or garden, where the treatment is 

 more or less of the formal type. We explain 

 this subject in detail under the heading of 

 "Gardens." 



Don't break up the lawn with too many 

 drives and walks. Of course convenience 

 requires that there be a certain number of 

 walks and drives, but these should be held 

 to the minimum. This is especially true on 

 small grounds. Remember that wherever 

 anything breaks up the wide expanse of the 

 lawn it makes the place seem smaller. Some- 

 times the walks or drives are slightly sunken 

 so they do not show up to such an extent. 



