MANY of us have little 

 control over the archi- 

 tecture of our homes for 

 we buy or rent what 

 has already been provided by 

 others. If we cannot plan our 

 houses we may each of us, as an 

 artist, experiment with line, mass, 

 composition and color through our 

 shrubs and plants and have a 

 garden representative of the indi- 

 viduality and life of the possessor 

 — something more than a place to 

 raise merely flowers and vegetables. 

 This garden, even if it be but a 

 small enclosure behind a house, may 

 become a larger outdoor living room 

 where the owners may find quiet 

 and beauty without thought of prying eyes. 

 We selected our home because it stood 

 in a grove of native trees on two quiet, 

 unfrequented streets. It was innocent 

 of shrubs and vines, but we secured privacy 

 from the neighbors' eyes on our large 

 veranda living room by planting vines — 

 woodbine first, for it grows rapidly, varied 

 with clematis and Japanese morning glories. 

 Flower boxes on the two sides added to our 

 joy and seclusion, as did also a discriminat- 

 ing use of shrubbery and a weeping willow 

 tree, gaining at the same time a fine play- 

 house and gymnasium for the small people. 

 We, however, are not prevented from 



Innocent of shrubs and vines 



looking out into the world from our 

 piazza though it is only when the 

 entrance is directly approached 

 that the hammock or its occupant 

 becomes visible. 



When we started to beautify our 

 place we had no idea of enclosing 

 the yard in order to gain privacy, 

 which we did not then need. 

 Rather our plan was to beautify 

 the large lawn with shrubs and 

 flowers and leave it open to the 

 public in the usual American fash- 

 ion. In order to do this we used 

 all the skill and ability at our com- 

 mand in an artistic arrangement 

 of shrubs and plants which could 

 survive the severe winters of the 

 Middle West. As the attractiveness of 

 our lawn increased, our street, much 

 to our displeasure, began to change from 

 an unfrequented one to a much-trav- 

 elled one. No longer could we lie on the 

 grass or frolic with the children unnoticed. 

 The traffic increased, for- the popularity of 

 the drive grew. Next the automobilists de- 

 manded paving along the street and a 

 new problem arose — how to secure for 

 ourselves seclusion in a city lot with a much 

 used street on one side and a public drive 

 on the other. We could no longer tolerate 

 an open lawn. We sighed for an inclosed 

 English garden. However, we could not 



We planted woodbine first 



We were satisfied with the privacy of the cosy interior 



A playhouse and gymnasium for the children 

 142 



Only upon direct approach is the hammock seen 



