XV 

 A JAPANESE TEA-GARDEN 



Under the unfavorable circumstances for locat- 

 ing a Japanese tea-garden, a landscape-gardening 

 project at Southampton to which we shall now 

 give attention, the best that could be done was 

 to hide it in a corner, where large trees screened its 

 sides and rear with the help of an adjoining 

 carriage-house and garage. In front, a softly 

 rolling lawn extended one hundred yards to Mrs. 

 Thompson's cottage and a little to the south more 

 than twice the distance to the shores of a lake. 



The building erected by Japanese carpenters 

 was, for a tea-house, somewhat lofty, but pictur- 

 esque and characteristic. It was impossible to 

 give the full Japanese spirit to the surroundings 

 on account of conditions; therefore, it was thought 

 best to avoid the introduction of many common 

 features of Japanese gardens such as artificial 

 pools, iris borders, miniature winding streams 

 crossed by diminutive bridges, and in addition 

 numerous dwarfed oaks, pines, etc., a foot high 

 and perhaps fifty years old. All this seemed too 

 strained and artificial, in short, entirely unsuited 

 to the place. 



The trees and shrubs used were simply Japanese, 

 the growth of some of which in time would be 



[61] 



