BEAUTIFYING HOME GROUNDS 533 



very unlike it. Others may profit by such a picture and it will give them 

 something to work toward along the line of home ornamentation. 



Formal Ornamentation. — Before planning and planting for ornamenta- 

 tion, have a landscape ideal. If the place is in the city surrounded by 

 straight streets, shade trees in avenue rows, massive architecture and other 

 conventions of one kind or another, the formality of straight walks, terraced 

 lawns, clipped trees and bushes, and even architectural gardens and statu- 

 ary is quite in keeping. The object is to provide a setting appropriate 

 to the building and in harmony with its environment. Formal landscape 

 treatment requires expert knowledge beyond the scope of this chapter. 

 Simple "old-fashioned" flower gardens with box-bordered paths, and rose 

 gardens with grass walks laid out in simple geometrical fashion can be 

 successfully designed by the amateur, but they should be set away by them- 

 selves and in close relation to the house or other buildings, or else isolated 

 and secluded from any general view. 



Informal Ornamentation. — For farm homes in the open country it is 

 much more effective and harmonious to arrange the home grounds with 

 naturally sloping lawns, convenient curving paths and trees and shrubs 

 grown in their natural form in groups and masses. The simplicity of 

 nature's masses of foliage as seen in copses and fence rows, of her trees 

 standing in splendid dignity alone or in groups of soft outline; her wood 

 edges that are irregular in outline and of material of different heights 

 rising from the ground line to high trees of the background; her colors, so 

 subdued and so gracefully blended together — these should be our ideals. 

 A close observation of natural landscape in general, and little bits here and 

 there in particular, may properly instruct us in the proper arrangement of 

 the simple home grounds as regards the planting. Very few homes depend 

 for their charm upon their natural surroundings. More often is all natural 

 beauty destroyed when man takes possession and adapts the land 

 to his economic necessity. But hints for the changes and for the 

 embellishment as well should be taken from the place itself and its 

 environment if it is to be in harmony with its site and become what 

 we call "charming." 



In the plan, considerations of convenience rule, but beauty may be 

 served also. The paths, which are not in themselves things of beauty, 

 however well constructed they may be, should if possible be kept out of 

 the center of the picture, and should not divide the open lawn more than 

 necessary. They should pass from house to road toward the side of great- 

 est travel, which satisfies the consideration of convenience while also 

 creating a graceful curve in course of the path and leaving unbroken the 

 central area. Do not interrupt any path by a flower bed, flag pole or 

 fountain, except in pleasure gardens, and do not cause its course to become 

 circuitous and tiresome in order merely to introduce curves. Where the 

 distance is less than fifty feet, introduce no deviation from a perfectly 

 straight course. Walks should not be lined by ribbons of flower beds, but 



