HOME PLANTING AND LANDSCAPE GARDENING 79 



public parks and buildings, the abatement of smoke and billboard 

 nuisances, conservation of the natural beauties of forest, moun- 

 tain, waterfall, woodland, spring, glen, gorge, and canyon for 

 these real values to the whole people of a beautiful America. 



The appearance of a country, especially of its homes, affords 

 1 he best index of the char- 

 acter of a people. Some 

 homes express taste, re- 

 hnement, good sense, and 

 morals which warm the 

 ] leart of the passer-by with 

 ; i friendly feeling for those 

 who dwell within. Some 

 express pride and repel 

 with ostentatious display 

 of wealth. Many are mere 

 muddles, accidents, com- 

 mercial affairs of the nur- 

 seryman. With the advent 

 of the modern landscape 

 gardener perhaps the 

 greatest present danger 

 is the monotony of set 

 ] )lanting a bit of shrub- 

 bery here, another there, 

 *' just so," which is frankly 

 more tiresome than nat- 

 ural accidents. 



The practical biology of landscape gardening relates to 

 effective planting of the home or street, park, town, or city. It 

 consists in problems of forming pictures with actual trees, 

 shrubs and vines, lawns and flowers ; and the first requisite 

 for success must be a clear knowledge of the living things 

 with which we build. We must also bear in mind that we are 



FIG. 36. Lancaster elm, after the storm 



