August, 1910 



THE GARDEN [MAGAZINE 



11 



pictures you can get on land. Thus the 

 value of every horticultural jewel is im- 

 mensely increased right at the start, because 

 its form and color are reflected in the magic 

 looking-glass of the water. 



But not every one can have water, and, 

 therefore, I shall point out the universal 

 features of Colonel Holford's garden, and 

 show why the grouping plan is inherently 

 better than the scattering plan. I cheer- 

 fully convict Colonel Holford of good taste on 

 five main counts: 



I. His way is more comfortable than our 

 way. When you visit a scattered place you 

 bob your head about as if you were at a three- 



nns Pissardi. In a well-ordered garden there 

 are no clashes. The dangerous colors are 

 hidden away, pocketed, surrounded by green. 

 You cannot imagine what pleasure you may 

 get simply from the different shades of green 

 until you see a good collection of fancy coni- 

 fers well arranged. The differences in tex- 

 ture, also, are a never-ending delight. 



4. His way is more fitting than our way 

 because it does not interfere with the land- 

 scape. When I strolled down to Colonel 

 Holford's garden from his house, I had no 

 idea that I was going to a collection The 

 whole garden looked like any other large 

 clump of woods on the estate. It did not 



See how every fine tree in a garden of specimens can be made to play a part in many different pictures 



ring circus; there is no orderly sequence; 

 and, after the sightseeing is done, you sink 

 down with a sigh of relief. When I went 

 into Colonel Holford's garden I felt imme- 

 diately that I should see it all without 

 fatigue. The garden was compact, not scat- 

 tered. One obvious path led to everything 

 in due order. There was a chance to sit and 

 rest. The experience was refreshing, not 

 distracting. 



2. His way is more picturesque than our 

 way. When we scatter plants we do not 

 create pictures that an artist would like to 

 paint, because each specimen is just as im- 

 portant as any other. When Colonel Hol- 

 ford groups plants there are leaders and 

 followers, just as we see in all the affairs of 

 men. The big evergreen seems to protect 

 the little evergreens at its feet, and all seem 

 to belong to one happy family. In a scat- 

 tered place you go from plant to plant; in 

 a well-grouped garden you go from picture 

 to picture. Colonel Holford's garden is 

 a kaleidoscopic series of them. There is a 

 new picture every step or two. 



3. His way is more cclorful than our way. 

 In a scattered place you see color discords, 

 e.g., golden elder against purple-leaved Pru- 



interrupt the broad expanse of lawn and 

 meadow. But if you scatter showy trees 

 in your front yard you destroy the simple 

 beauty of the lawn and every passer-by must 

 take notice, whether he wishes to or not. 

 A home should blend with the landscape — 

 not stand out in contrast to it. 



5. His way is more economical than our 

 way because many pictures are made with 

 few plants. Under the scattering "system," 

 each plant counts only once. Under the 

 grouping system each plant plays a part in 

 several different pictures. To understand 

 exactly what I mean, notice the three pic- 

 tures in which a certain tall evergreen tree 

 appears. That tree is a bluish African 

 cedar about fifteen feet high. I could have 

 had the photographer take a dozen different 

 pictures in which this splendid conifer 

 played a leading part. It is as if some beau- 

 tiful singer were to hold one stirring note 

 while the flute alone answered, then the 

 strings, th'e reeds, and finally the whole 

 orchestra. The mechanism of such effect 

 is easy to understand — good design, good 

 grouping, and a curving path which reveals 

 new wonders at every step. 



Easy to understand — but hard to do! 

 For now I must honestly confess the only 

 serious difficulty about the scheme I am 

 urging. It isn't simple. A beginner can't 

 do it. The men who can design such gar- 

 dens in this country can probably be num- 

 bered on the fingers of both hands. The 

 cost of design has to be a large item. For 

 the layout of an estate, 10 per cent, is too 

 much, if the work is chiefly grading and 

 road building; but if it is chiefly planting it 

 is too little. A man who can design a gar- 

 den of specimens equal to Colonel Holford's 

 would probably charge 15 per cent, of the 

 total cost for designing the garden, order- 

 ing the material, and planting it. Some 

 men I know would not accept such a com- 



Observe how this winding walk in Col, Holford's garden reveals a kaleidoscopic series of pictures 



