Stark Bro's Landscape Architects and Ornamental Nurserymen Louisiana, Mo. 



Third, the service portion of the property 

 which includes that part of the grounds 

 that has the drying yards, service walk, 

 vegetable and fruit garden. This division 

 of the grounds is separated or screened off 



The Gaudy Style A Cluttered Foreground 



lioth the picture above and the one to the right 



were taken from the same front porch. Note 



the difference. The above "iew is spoiled 



by the scattered plants on the lawn. 



both from the public and private portions 

 by lattices covered with vines or by shrub 

 border plantings. 



The Semi-Public Portion 



This is the part of the grounds which is 

 most frequently seen. It consists of what is 

 commonly known as the front lawn and it 

 should present the best possible appearance. 

 The entrances, drives and walks should be 

 arranged so that they will be most conyen- 

 iont. The shrub groups and tree plantings 

 should be so placed as to give the house 

 the most effective setting. 



Principles of Landscape 

 Gardening 



In every landscape planting the principle 

 of unity is all important. To attain unity 

 all that is necessary is to have the entire 

 place treated in such a way that it will 

 present a harmonious whole. In other words, 

 the aim should be to make the home grounds 

 like a picture. There should be one central 

 idea or feature. In the home grounds, this 

 central idea is the house, which is the domi- 

 nant point of the entire planting. We must 

 guard against breaking up the grounds into 

 many individual parts. Every good picture 

 has the one central idea with many sub- 

 ordinate or secondary features. It is often 

 true that the simplest home planting is the 

 most attractive. 



How to Attain Unity or 

 Picture Effect 



To gain pur picture effect, the first thing 

 to consider is a large, open front lawn. Never 

 plant shrubs and trees scattered over the 

 yard. This breaks up the lawn into many 

 parts and makes it appear much smaller 

 than it really is. We should aim to increase 

 its apparent size. Furthermore, shrubs and 

 trees should never be planted in straight 

 rows on the lawn, or any other part of the 

 property. Of course there is an exception 



when we plant street trees along the high- 

 way. It is especially important that the 

 lawn on small properties should be kept 

 open, because in these cases, there is a very 

 limited amount of space available and it 

 should be made to appear as large as possible. 

 And besides, the grass grows much better 

 on the lawn when it is open to the sun. A 

 green lawn is one of the most important 

 parts of an effective landscape treatment. 

 The view from the front of the home 

 should not be obstructed. If we were to 

 plant shrubs and trees scattered over the 

 lawn, it would entirely ruin ,the outlook. 

 Instead, we must select the best views and 

 then frame them with a planting of trees 

 and shrubs. 



The Stark Way of Landscaping 



We design open lawns with borders of shrubs 



View framed by graceful trees. This 



illustrates Unity in Landscaping. 



Planting About the House 



We have already spoken of the planting 

 about the house. Shade trees on either side 

 of the house are useful for the protection they 

 give from the bright sun in Summer and the 

 cold, bleak winds in Winter. However, an 

 even more important reason for planting 



trees relatively near the house is to frame in 

 the home and to give a cozy, protected 

 effect. Shrubs and trees both, when planted 

 around the house, make it blend in closer with 

 the surrounding landscape. The house seems 

 to appear as if it belonged there and was a 

 part of the entire natural surrounding. On 

 the other hand think of a house standing 

 on a bare lot with no planting to soften the 

 hard architectural lines. This results in 

 the house appearing artificial and out of 

 place. In summer it is hot and uninviting; 

 in winter it appears cold, bleak and unpro- 

 tected. 



Avoid Patchwork of Color 



Another factor that must be considered in 

 making the home grounds an effective pic- 

 ture is the general color scheme, which should 

 be of a quiet tone. We may have contrast 

 of different colors, such as dark, light and 

 medium, but we must avoid a spotted or 

 patchwork appearance. Use enough plants 

 of one color in a group to prevent this spotted 

 appearance. By blending the groups of the 

 different colors together, we will get 

 harmonious effects. As we have said before, 

 the major portion of color should be quiet, 

 such as the beautiful green and white of 

 Spirea Van Houttei. Again, if you will 

 refer to the landscape work of Nature, you 

 will find that she grows shrubs in groups 

 with the many colors blended together. 

 There is no regularity in the way she lays 

 out her plantings. 



Avoid Monotony 



Do not make the planting too dull or with 

 too much of a sameness. We must have some 

 variety in color, shape and arrangement of 

 the plants. There must be a few accents, 

 such as an upright shrub or tree or a bright 

 flowering plant. The walks must be laid 

 out in long, irregular, graceful curves. If 

 possible, views in different parts of the 

 grounds should be framed in so as to lend 

 interest to the planting. 



Other Principles of Landscape 

 Gardening 



Aside from the principle of unity (treat- 

 ment as a whole), there are other important 

 principles that must be considered in laying 

 out the home grounds. 



It is very often true that the simplest 

 planting is the most effective. Although we 

 must have sufficient planting to frame in the 

 home, to create the effect of larger grounds 

 and to give variety to the planting, still we 

 do not want to overdo it. We must realize 

 when it is time to stop planting. Don't 

 clutter up the entire property with plants 

 leave plenty of wide open stretches of 

 lawn and confine the shrub planting largely 

 to the borders of the property and around 

 the house. 



Variety in Landscaping 



A home planted with shrubs which has 

 very similar characteristics would soon 

 become dull and monotonous. In landscape 

 planting, as well as other phases of life, 



Thecharmof this beautiful home liesinthegreatopenlawn, framing trees and surrounding foundation 

 planting of flowering shrubs. The planting increases the cash value of this place 5 to 60%. 



