CHAPTER III 

 Pretty Garden Alterations 



IF the garden is too flat and all can be seen at a glance, a few banks, 

 crowned by evergreen and flowering shrubs, will quickly effect the 

 required improvement. If the situation is cold, some Laurels 01 

 Euonymus can be used on the summit to protect dainty blossoming 

 subjects. Spiraeas, Deutzias, and Brooms of various sorts will 

 be attractive. If the garden is really bleak and windswept, or 

 shaded, then St. John's Wort (Hypericum calycirium) and Mahonia 

 (Berberis Aquifolium), with foxgloves and Solomon's Seal, will 

 suffice with the evergreens to make a nice show. 



Is the garden overcrowded with trees, shrubs, and herbaceous; 

 plants ? Alas, this is a frequent evil, and nothing but a seemingly 

 ruthless clearance will improve matters. Better grow one planti 

 well than suffer half a dozen to struggle for existence. A great! 

 deal can be done, however> by lifting every clump of perennials, 

 such as Michaelmas Daisies, Sunflowers, Phloxes, Campanulas, 

 Day Lilies, and reducing each group to three plants. The lesser 

 perennials, such as London Pride, Pinks, etc., can be similarly or 

 even more drastically dealt with. 



Is the garden too stiff and formal in effect? Then no doubt 

 a change can be wrought by rounding off the sharp corners of lawns, 

 beds and borders, and making curves along formerly straight paths. 

 To create a curving bank or two, the sides held up by turf or 

 rockery, is admirable ; so also is the erection of a pretty summer- 

 house to one side of a lawn or gravel plot, surrounding this by 

 flower beds or groups of pillar roses. Then specimen perennials of 

 large size, uncommon flowering or evergreen shrubs, or even a 

 good flowering tree can be dotted about the grass to break the 

 monotonous regularity. 



Is the garden colourless too white or too uniformly green ? 

 This often happens, and is most unfortunate when the house itself 



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