LANDSCAPE GARDENING 



LANDSCAPE GARDENING 



879 



in landscape art is in tlie rural and f^arden cemetery. 

 The first distinct movement towards a rural cenieterj- 

 was made in 1825 by Jacob Kij^elow, of Boston, whoso 

 work was soon taken up l)y the Massachusetts Horti- 

 cultural Society. As a result of the agitation by this 

 admirable organization, Mt. Auburn Cemetery, at Cam- 

 bridge, was established and incorporated in 1831. The 

 consumraatiou of this enterprise gave to the world a 

 cemetery which should be distinct from church-yards, 

 removed from the city, and softened by the gracious 

 touch of nature ; and tlierel)y, also, the young Massa- 

 chusetts Horticultural Society set an example to all 

 similar organizations and achieved for itself enduring 

 fame. The work of Reptou and Loudon had not then 

 enlivened and broadened the conceptions of Landscape 

 Gardening, and Mt. Auburn, whilst an excellent work 

 of its kind, is not a landscape garden cemetery. The 

 modern art of garden cemetery making— in which, as in 

 the park, the continuous expanse of greensward is the 

 fundamental conception of the fabric — originated with 

 Adolph Strauch, who, in 1854, became superintendent 

 of Spring Grove cemetery, Cincinnati. Strauch was a 

 Prussian, born in 1822, and died in 1883. His work at 

 Spring Grove cemetery has justly given him lasting 

 fame, and his book describing the place mnst be con- 

 sulted by any one who traces the evolution of the garden 

 cemetery. The Board of Directors of the cemetery said, 

 at the time of his death, that "he had filled the mea.snre 

 of his ambition by the consent of his profession, which 

 ranked him as the equal of Kepton and Piickler-Muskau 

 as a master of art in landscape creation, which had been 

 finally proved by him to be possible to be successfully 

 applied in adorning and making attractive the last rest- 

 ing places of humanity." At the present time, about a 

 hundred burial places in various parts of North America 

 can be said to be landscape-garden cemeteries. See the 

 article on Landscape Cemeteries, following. 



The successful practice of Landscape Gardening de- 

 pends, first, on an artistic temperament and an inher- 

 ent love of nature; second, on an intimate knowledge of 

 plants; and third, on familiarity with various arts and 

 handicrafts, as the making of roads, grading, draining, 

 enriching the land, and the like. Landscape Gardening 

 must be sharply distinguished from gardening : the 

 former is the making of pictures with plants; the latter 

 is the growing of plants without reference to the pic- 

 ture. In one, the interest centers in art: in the other it 

 centers in plants. Since Landscape Gardening is pri- 

 marily a matter of taste, it is impossible that it be 



tinguish sharply between the fundamentals and the in- 

 cidentals,— those things which are to give the character 

 or tone to tiie place, and those which are embellishments 

 or ornaments. Keep one or more spaces open. Plant the 

 sides or boundaries with masses. Use single or individual 

 plants only to empli;isize or to lieighten an eflect. not to 



1231. Glimpse in Shenstone's Leasowes. 



dominated by rules. However, a few general precepts 

 and suggestions may be useful, and these are given in 

 the following paragraph (see Figs. 12;)2-1238). 



The motive of a true landscape garden, as already ex- 

 plained, is to make a picture. The picture should have a 

 landscape or nature-like effect. The place should be 

 one thing : it should emphasize some thought or feeling. 

 It should have one central or emphatic object. Avoid 

 scattered effects. Bunch or mass the planting. Dis- 



1232 ^ 



Outlme of an open ' 



center and mass planted bides 



Siiggestion froui Euglisclier (!>arteii, Muuich. 



give it character: they are incidentals. Ornament should 

 be an incident. Foliage is a fundamental. Greensward is 

 the canvas on which the picture is spread. Plants are more 

 useful for the positions they occupy than for their kinds. 

 Walks and drives are no part of a lan<lscape picture : 

 tliey are a necessity, but they may be made to conform 

 t() the spirit of the picture. The place for walks and 

 drives is where they are needed : otherwise they have 

 no use or purpose. It is the part of a good landscape 

 gardener to make his grounds conform to the build- 

 ings : it should equally be the part of an architect to 

 nuike his buildings conform to the landscape. Make 

 views to desirable objects in the outlying landscape or 

 tlie offscape. Obstnu-t the views to undesirable parts. 

 Aim for a good prospect from every window in a 

 residence, including the kitchen. Shear the trees and 

 bushes wlien hedges, curiosities, and formal gardens 

 are wanted : let them assume tlieir natural forms when 

 a landscape garden is wanted (Figs. 1237, 1238). Place 

 no tree or plant until you aresure that it will mean some- 

 thing. 



The best results in the planning of any place are to 

 be expected when one employs a competent landscape 

 gardener. Avoid the man who places great stress on 

 flower beds and "designs." Yet one can do much by 

 himself, and be the happier for the effort. Books will 

 help. Some of the current American books on Land- 

 scape Gardening and related topics are the following : 

 Downing's "Landscape Gardening ;" Kemp's "How to 

 Lay Out a Garden;" Parson's " Landscape Gardening'' 

 and "How to Plan the Home Grounds ;" Long's "Orna- 

 mental Gardening for Americans;" Waugh's "Land- 

 scape Gardening ;" Maynard's "Landscape Gardeningas 

 Applied to Home Decoration;" Davis' "Ornamental 

 Shrubs ;" Van Rensselaer's "Art Out of Doors ;" Bai- 

 ley's "Garden-Making." See Uorderif, Herbs, Lcuois, 

 Parks, K^Jinds. l_ jj_ p 



Landscape Cemeteries (PMate XVII). — The cemeteries 

 of the present day have come into existence from a desire 

 to have burials made at a distance from centers of popu- 

 latitm, and among beautiful surroundings. They are 

 often called "rural cemeteries." The first one in the 

 United States to merit this name was Mt. Auburn, near 

 Boston, Mass., founded in 1831. Since then the idea of 

 having burial places park-like in their character has 

 been spreading until they contain to-day some of the 

 most beautiful landscapes developed by the hand of 

 man. The wish to have in the cemetery all the beauty 

 of trees, shrubs, lawns and fiowers has gradually led to 

 tlie abolition of fences, coping and other lot enclosures, 

 and a reduction in the number of monuments and the 

 size of headstones. There are many who now believe 



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