﻿132 
  

  

  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  April, 
  1907 
  

  

  The 
  fireplace 
  is 
  built 
  of 
  Tiffany 
  brick 
  with 
  the 
  facings 
  and 
  

   hearth 
  of 
  similar 
  brick, 
  and 
  a 
  mantel-shelf 
  supported 
  on 
  

   corbelled 
  brackets. 
  The 
  dining-room 
  has 
  a 
  similar 
  fireplace 
  

   and 
  also 
  has 
  French 
  windows 
  opening 
  on 
  to 
  a 
  piazza. 
  

  

  The 
  kitchen 
  and 
  its 
  dependencies 
  are 
  trimmed 
  with 
  cypress 
  

   and 
  finished 
  natural 
  with 
  hard 
  oil. 
  The 
  kitchen 
  and 
  pantries 
  

   are 
  well 
  lighted 
  and 
  ventilated 
  and 
  are 
  fitted 
  up 
  complete. 
  

  

  The 
  trim 
  of 
  the 
  second 
  floor 
  is 
  painted 
  white, 
  and 
  the 
  walls 
  

  

  are 
  hard 
  finished 
  and 
  covered 
  with 
  artistic 
  wall 
  paper, 
  each 
  

   room 
  being 
  carried 
  out 
  in 
  one 
  particular 
  color 
  scheme. 
  This 
  

   floor 
  contains 
  three 
  large 
  bedrooms, 
  ample 
  closets, 
  and 
  bath- 
  

   room; 
  the 
  latter 
  being 
  fitted 
  up 
  with 
  porcelain 
  fixtures 
  and 
  

   exposed 
  plumbing. 
  The 
  floors 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  story 
  are 
  of 
  maple, 
  

   and 
  of 
  the 
  second 
  story 
  of 
  North 
  Carolina 
  pine. 
  The 
  house 
  

   is 
  supplied 
  with 
  steam 
  heat. 
  It 
  was 
  designed 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Sullivan 
  

   W. 
  Jones, 
  architect, 
  of 
  New 
  York. 
  

  

  Evolution 
  of 
  American 
  Grounds 
  

  

  |EW 
  ENGLAND 
  repeated 
  the 
  home 
  land 
  

   across 
  the 
  water, 
  not 
  only 
  in 
  the 
  things 
  that 
  

   she 
  planted, 
  but 
  in 
  the 
  method 
  of 
  planting. 
  

   The 
  apple 
  and 
  pear 
  and 
  plum 
  and 
  cherry 
  

   were 
  promptly 
  brought 
  over, 
  and 
  with 
  them 
  

   shrubs 
  and 
  plants, 
  not 
  only 
  for 
  the 
  small 
  

   fruit 
  garden, 
  but 
  for 
  ornamenting 
  the 
  lawn. 
  

   The 
  garden 
  must 
  be 
  spaded 
  once 
  a 
  year, 
  just 
  as 
  in 
  Old 
  Eng- 
  

   land, 
  although 
  the 
  space 
  to 
  be 
  gone 
  over 
  was 
  much 
  larger. 
  I 
  

   never 
  saw 
  a 
  plow 
  put 
  into 
  a 
  garden 
  until 
  after 
  1840. 
  This 
  

   sort 
  of 
  work 
  bent 
  the 
  backs 
  of 
  our 
  fathers, 
  while 
  the 
  boys, 
  

   who 
  did 
  the 
  sowing 
  and 
  the 
  weeding 
  by 
  hand, 
  hated 
  the 
  word 
  

   "garden." 
  If 
  our 
  grandmothers 
  of 
  1 
  800 
  could 
  have 
  their 
  way, 
  

   they 
  created 
  an 
  offset 
  near 
  the 
  house, 
  wide 
  enough 
  for 
  sweet- 
  

   williams, 
  grass 
  pinks, 
  marigolds, 
  and 
  a 
  few 
  more 
  old-fash- 
  

   ioned 
  perennials 
  and 
  annuals. 
  These 
  were 
  almost 
  always 
  bor- 
  

   dered 
  with 
  grass 
  pinks. 
  A 
  rosebush 
  always 
  stood 
  at 
  the 
  cor- 
  

   ner 
  of 
  the 
  house, 
  and 
  a 
  mass 
  of 
  "hundred-leaved" 
  roses 
  stood 
  

   near 
  the 
  gateway. 
  Climbing 
  over 
  the 
  bedroom 
  window 
  was 
  

   pretty 
  sure 
  to 
  be 
  found 
  a 
  fumitory 
  vine, 
  delicate 
  and 
  beauti- 
  

   ful 
  ; 
  and 
  not 
  far 
  away 
  a 
  big 
  clump 
  of 
  cinnamon 
  roses. 
  

  

  There 
  were 
  daffodils 
  and 
  tulips 
  and 
  red 
  peonies 
  in 
  the 
  

   American 
  garden 
  as 
  far 
  back 
  as 
  1800, 
  and 
  to 
  these 
  were 
  

   added 
  white 
  peonies 
  and 
  white 
  lilacs 
  before 
  1820. 
  I 
  refer 
  of 
  

   course 
  to 
  their 
  general 
  distribution. 
  In 
  boxes 
  stood 
  often 
  a 
  

   crimson 
  rose 
  — 
  generally 
  the 
  Sanguinea 
  ; 
  and 
  it 
  was 
  not 
  un- 
  

   common 
  in 
  the 
  thirties 
  to 
  find 
  boxes 
  of 
  hydrangea 
  hortensis. 
  

   At 
  this 
  time 
  the 
  most 
  common 
  shrubs 
  included 
  the 
  snowball 
  — 
  

   viburnum 
  sterilis 
  — 
  and 
  one 
  variety 
  of 
  the 
  mock 
  orange. 
  The 
  

   double-flowering 
  almond 
  is 
  quite 
  as 
  old 
  as 
  this, 
  in 
  dooryards. 
  

   There 
  were 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  varieties 
  of 
  spirea, 
  and 
  occasionally 
  

   to 
  be 
  found 
  viburnum 
  opulus. 
  The 
  trumpet 
  honeysuckle, 
  

   and 
  what 
  was 
  then 
  called 
  the 
  sweet-scented 
  honeysuckle, 
  were 
  

   carefully 
  trained 
  about 
  a 
  framework 
  in 
  the 
  front 
  yard. 
  So 
  

   few 
  were 
  these 
  treasures 
  that 
  our 
  mothers 
  became 
  quite 
  

   skilful 
  in 
  propagating 
  them 
  by 
  layers. 
  

  

  A 
  little 
  later 
  great 
  lines 
  of 
  shrubbery, 
  running 
  from 
  the 
  

   front 
  door 
  and 
  flanking 
  a 
  straight 
  walk 
  to 
  the 
  front 
  gate, 
  

   came 
  out 
  of 
  New 
  England, 
  and 
  marched 
  westward 
  with 
  the 
  

   pioneers. 
  When 
  I 
  went 
  into 
  Michigan 
  and 
  Wisconsin 
  in 
  the 
  

   6o's, 
  I 
  saw 
  it 
  still 
  moving 
  westward, 
  and 
  the 
  pride 
  of 
  pioneer 
  

   homes. 
  There 
  are 
  still 
  sorry 
  samples 
  of 
  it 
  in 
  the 
  Eastern 
  

   States, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  Western; 
  although 
  the 
  labor 
  of 
  keeping 
  

   out 
  the 
  grass 
  and 
  weeds 
  from 
  these 
  narrow 
  strips 
  made 
  their 
  

   popularity 
  brief. 
  The 
  Persian 
  lilacs, 
  with 
  Josikia, 
  came 
  into 
  

   our 
  grounds 
  generally 
  about 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  nineteenth 
  

   century. 
  Callosa 
  was 
  added 
  to 
  the 
  spireas, 
  and 
  altheas 
  be- 
  

   came 
  the 
  pride 
  of 
  choice 
  grounds. 
  Tartarian 
  honeysuckles 
  

   came 
  a 
  little 
  later, 
  and 
  with 
  them 
  the 
  deutsias. 
  Primroses 
  

   nestled 
  at 
  the 
  foot 
  of 
  the 
  large 
  shrubs, 
  and 
  it 
  was 
  not 
  uncom- 
  

   mon 
  to 
  find 
  a 
  bed 
  of 
  the 
  hardy 
  carnations. 
  These 
  were 
  

   called 
  spice 
  pinks, 
  and 
  are 
  unsurpassed 
  for 
  country 
  grounds 
  

   even 
  at 
  the 
  present 
  day. 
  

  

  Cherries 
  and 
  Damson 
  plums 
  were 
  for 
  a 
  long 
  time 
  planted 
  

   along 
  the 
  fences 
  of 
  the 
  home 
  grounds 
  — 
  a 
  very 
  good 
  plan 
  yet, 
  

  

  for 
  they 
  make 
  a 
  thick 
  and 
  good 
  windbreak. 
  But 
  when 
  the 
  

   Green 
  Gage 
  and 
  Magnum 
  Bonum 
  became 
  more 
  common 
  they 
  

   were 
  allowed 
  places 
  near 
  the 
  house. 
  Red 
  currants, 
  with 
  

   gooseberries, 
  gradually 
  escaped 
  the 
  long 
  line 
  through 
  the 
  

   grass 
  plots, 
  where 
  they 
  struggled 
  for 
  existence, 
  and 
  became 
  

   the 
  foundation 
  of 
  the 
  small 
  fruit 
  garden. 
  This 
  occurred 
  

   about 
  1850, 
  although 
  there 
  were 
  a 
  few 
  small 
  fruit 
  gardens 
  at 
  

   an 
  earlier 
  date 
  — 
  gardens 
  including 
  the 
  quince 
  and 
  grape 
  as 
  

   well 
  as 
  the 
  raspberry, 
  and 
  very 
  rarely 
  the 
  strawberry. 
  About 
  

   1850 
  began 
  to 
  develop 
  a 
  taste 
  for 
  our 
  native 
  shrubs. 
  Bar- 
  

   berries, 
  dogwoods, 
  the 
  hazel, 
  and 
  many 
  other 
  beautiful 
  things 
  

   were 
  gathered 
  about 
  the 
  houses. 
  Now 
  began 
  the 
  division 
  of 
  

   the 
  grounds 
  into 
  small 
  fruit 
  garden, 
  shrubbery, 
  flower 
  gar- 
  

   den, 
  and 
  orchard. 
  The 
  gardens 
  and 
  orchards 
  were 
  hence- 
  

   forth 
  to 
  be 
  worked 
  by 
  horse 
  power. 
  

  

  The 
  opening 
  of 
  Spring 
  was 
  always 
  noted 
  in 
  the 
  early 
  days 
  

   by 
  two 
  things; 
  our 
  mothers 
  opened 
  their 
  seed 
  drawers, 
  and 
  

   our 
  fathers 
  took 
  from 
  the 
  storeroom 
  their 
  spiles 
  — 
  made 
  of 
  

   elder 
  sticks 
  with 
  the 
  pith 
  pushed 
  out. 
  It 
  was 
  time 
  for 
  start- 
  

   ing 
  seeds 
  in 
  boxes, 
  and 
  for 
  tapping 
  the 
  maple 
  trees. 
  Hot- 
  

   beds 
  were 
  uncommon. 
  Our 
  mothers 
  always 
  swapped 
  seeds, 
  

   very 
  generously. 
  They 
  had 
  by 
  1850 
  a 
  good 
  supply 
  of 
  sweet 
  

   peas, 
  nasturtiums, 
  and 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  newer 
  varieties 
  of 
  pinks. 
  

   The 
  gladiolus 
  was 
  a 
  simple 
  affair, 
  purple 
  and 
  inconspicuous. 
  

   Its 
  improvement 
  did 
  not 
  begin 
  until 
  about 
  i860. 
  Phloxes 
  

   by 
  this 
  time 
  had 
  grown 
  very 
  popular, 
  but 
  until 
  1870 
  were 
  of 
  

   two 
  colors 
  only, 
  and 
  no 
  way 
  comparable 
  to 
  our 
  modern 
  

   varieties. 
  By 
  1850 
  the 
  list 
  of 
  China 
  roses 
  had 
  considerably 
  

   increased, 
  and 
  the 
  hybrid 
  perpetuals 
  included 
  Giant 
  of 
  Battles, 
  

   John 
  Hopper, 
  and 
  others 
  that 
  are 
  still 
  the 
  honor 
  of 
  our 
  gar- 
  

   dens. 
  The 
  perennial 
  larkspurs, 
  notably 
  that 
  called 
  the 
  "bee" 
  

   larkspur, 
  were 
  rapidly 
  disseminated 
  about 
  this 
  time. 
  

  

  The 
  front 
  yard 
  had 
  been 
  made 
  by 
  running 
  fences 
  directly 
  

   from 
  the 
  front 
  corners 
  of 
  the 
  house 
  to 
  the 
  street 
  fence. 
  These 
  

   were 
  made 
  of 
  neat 
  pickets, 
  capped 
  over; 
  and 
  there 
  were 
  

   always 
  three 
  gates; 
  one 
  into 
  the 
  street, 
  one 
  into 
  the 
  garden, 
  

   and 
  one 
  into 
  the 
  big 
  dooryard. 
  These 
  had 
  to 
  be 
  kept 
  shut, 
  

   for 
  pigs 
  and 
  cows 
  haunted 
  the 
  streets, 
  and 
  the 
  gate 
  into 
  the 
  

   large 
  yard 
  was 
  seldom 
  shut. 
  This 
  front 
  yard 
  was 
  the 
  glory 
  

   O'f 
  the 
  home; 
  as 
  much 
  a 
  matter 
  of 
  pride 
  as 
  the 
  parlor. 
  It 
  

   contained, 
  beside 
  the 
  great 
  lines 
  of 
  shrubbery 
  that 
  bordered 
  

   the 
  path, 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  of 
  the 
  rarest 
  trees 
  — 
  such 
  as 
  honey 
  

   locust, 
  or 
  possibly 
  a 
  green 
  gage 
  plum 
  tree. 
  This 
  front 
  yard 
  

   vanished 
  about 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  century, 
  about 
  the 
  time 
  that 
  

   the 
  stock 
  laws 
  began 
  to 
  banish 
  the 
  cattle 
  from 
  the 
  streets. 
  

   Picket 
  fences 
  gave 
  way 
  to 
  the 
  English 
  board 
  fence 
  before 
  

   1850; 
  this 
  to 
  efforts 
  at 
  hedges, 
  which 
  continued 
  until 
  some- 
  

   time 
  after 
  1870. 
  These 
  hedges 
  were 
  first 
  attempted 
  with 
  the 
  

   English 
  hawthorn; 
  but 
  this 
  would 
  neither 
  turn 
  cattle 
  nor 
  en- 
  

   dure 
  our 
  dry 
  hot 
  summers. 
  The 
  buckthorn 
  followed, 
  and 
  

   still 
  is 
  in 
  some 
  use. 
  The 
  gleditschia 
  came 
  later, 
  and 
  in 
  a 
  few 
  

   cases 
  the 
  osage 
  orange 
  was 
  adopted 
  in 
  the 
  Eastern 
  States 
  — 
  

   much 
  more 
  generally 
  in 
  the 
  West. 
  As 
  the 
  stock 
  laws 
  were 
  

   enforced, 
  it 
  gradually 
  dawned 
  on 
  the 
  people 
  that 
  they 
  could 
  

   dispense 
  with 
  the 
  cost 
  of 
  both 
  fences 
  and 
  hedges. 
  Grounds 
  

  

  