THE TERRACE 75 



transplant as compared with the Japanese holly (ilex 

 crenata) ? 



So it becomes evident that the terrace is most valua- 

 ble as an adjunct, a qualification of the house, and may 

 be used with dignified and noble effect in that way ; but it 

 needs handling with equal skill of design, although in a 

 very different way, from that employed for the house. 

 The designer should feel the folds and contours of the 

 surrounding ground more completely than is necessary 

 with the house, and above all, the treatment of the sur- 

 face of the terrace needs to be done with a full and in- 

 timate knowledge of the habits of different plants, in 

 such places in this climate. European precedents do 



CROSS SECTION OP TEERACE SHOWN ON PAGE 71 



not count here, as are indicated by the forlorn attempts 

 we often see to force unfortunate tree box into the 

 clipped shapes of formal gardens. Italy has succeeded 

 with her terrace effects by using plants native to her 

 climate, and by using them in ways that the shape of 

 the ground and the spirit of the landscape suggests. In 

 this same way we, in America, will come to study more 

 intimately our own climate, soil, and landscape effects, 

 and the plants suited to them, before we succeed in 

 securing the best results of terrace adornment. 



After all, velvety lawn and open turf effects will 

 always remain the chief charm of American terraces, and 

 the sooner we settle down to accept this undeniable fact 

 and apply it in our landscape work, the sooner we will 



