A Sunken Seaside Garden — By A. Raymond Ellis, 



Con- 

 necticnt 



THE problem presented 

 in making a garden 

 for Mr. Hess on the south 

 shore of Long Island was 

 not an unusual one, and 

 the solution given below 

 may be of help to others. 

 The space was simply a 

 flat stretch near the shore 

 and the soil sandy. There 

 was no relief or variety of 

 contour yet it was felt that 

 some break in the even 

 surface was necessary. 



It was a question 

 where to obtain, at slight 

 expense, sufficient earth to 

 grade so large a piece of 

 land, as the term "dirt 

 cheap" no longer applies 

 anywhere in the vicinity 

 of large cities and especi- 

 ally New York. 



It seemed to me that 

 the desired result could 

 best be accomplished by building a 

 garden about in the centre of the plot, 

 slightly depressed, using the earth thus 

 obtained to raise the level of the ground 

 between it and the creek. It was planned 

 to make this depression 18 inches deep but 

 we found that a 12 inch depression was 

 quite sufficient and now that a hedge is 

 planted around it the effect of depth is in- 

 creased. ' From the level of the garden the 

 banks forming the sides are sloped up to 

 the surrounding lawn at an angle a little 

 less than 45 degrees. The hedge is planted 

 around the edge at the top of this bank, 

 clearly defining and accenting the garden. 

 Drainage would have entered into this 

 problem if the land had not been so sandy 

 that it rapidly absorbed any rain that fell. 

 It then became but a matter of construct- 

 ing walks, beds, walls and the various gar- 

 den features from time to time to complete 



Looking from the piazza across the lawn, the sunken garden is seen and beyond it a glimpse 

 of water works well into the distant view. Honeysuckle is growing on the posts 



the scheme which was first completely 

 worked out by plans and details. 

 A concrete wall about 6 feet high was 



The sunken garden is framed by a low privet 

 hedge and the whole is surrounded by a grass walk 



Climbing roses are supported on trellises against 

 the wall on the right (north side). Oaks and wild 

 cherry beyond the wall 



built along the entire length of the garden 

 on the north (street) side, which afforded 

 privacy and protection and a background 

 for vines and flowers on the garden side, as 

 well as to catch the dust from the street 

 side. The effect of seclusion was increased 

 by a row of well proportioned trees. On 

 the opposite side the view to the water 

 is left open. The house was also well 

 shaded, but with the proper amount of air, 

 light and shade. In planting trees you 

 must consider them as a pyramid or tri- 

 angle of foliage and shadow resting on its 

 base. This shade increases and decreases 

 in length according to the position of the 

 sun during the day and as these shadows 

 lap over one another or envelop the house 

 is the proper proportion of air, light and 

 shade maintained. The foliage about the 

 house must not be so dense as to interfere 

 with the air currents in hot weather. 



The form and shape of this garden is 

 unsymmetrical, although hardly apparent 

 — the plan being somewhat formal. From 

 the piazza of the house, across the lawn, a 

 view is obtained of the whole length of the 



226 



property and looking into 

 the distance beyond, adds 

 greatly to the apparent 

 depth. This view leads 

 to the sunken garden. 



The garden is hedged 

 with California privet 

 and is laid out with regu- 

 lar shaped beds having 

 grass walks around them. 

 The centres are accent- 

 ed by ornamental shaped 

 trees and shrubs, similar 

 to those seen about old 

 Southern homes and gar- 

 dens and may be trimmed 

 in various shapes. A few 

 steps at the end of the 

 central walk lead up to 

 the garage driveway. 

 Beyond this is the kitchen 

 vegetable garden. 



Considering the nature 

 of most soil which like 

 most others near the ocean , 

 is more or less sandy and apparently 

 affording but little nourishment or sta- 

 bility for plants to root in, the results 

 have been most interesting. Some good 

 loam from further inland was brought 

 in for the flower beds, particularly the 

 roses for which the soil was too light. 

 Some well rotted manure was mixed in 

 and the small amount of sand seems to 

 be of little consequence. The vegetable 

 garden seems to have thrived on the nat- 

 ural soil, largely due to the underlying 

 moisture. Mr. Hess charted his garden 

 and has made accurate observations on the 

 behavior of the plants. Those that have 

 taken hold best are the following, planted 

 in the autumn of 191 1. 



Blanket flower, blazing star, campion, 

 candytuft (perennial), cornflower, evening 

 primrose, false chamomile, false dragon- 

 head, foxgloves, gas plant, German iris, 



Japan iris and perennial phlox in large masses of 

 one variety give rich bloom in summer 



