25 



CEMETERY 

 LANDSCAPE GARDENING 



EMETERIES are parklike in 



their size but the 

 esemblance g-oes no further. There is the same 

 difference in their treatment that we find in the archi- 

 tectural treatment of churches and theatres. The archi- 

 tect who would design with indiscriminate taste churches 

 and playhouses would have sensibilities so dull as to see 

 no difference between that brooding of the soul which we 

 call worship and the gaiet)^ of a harlec[uin who has no 

 thought beyond the present hour. 



If the ground is not naturally rolling the surface 

 should be gently undulated, and this can be accomplished 

 in adjusting grades for the system of driveways which 

 should be somewhat lower than the natural level. There 

 should be no attempt at ornate or picturesque effects, but 

 simply enough undulation of the surface to lend a charm 

 to contemplation. 



Cemeteries demand a simple style of treatment, and 

 for that reason the fussiness of many detached flower- 

 beds is objectionable; and it is equally objectionable to 

 plant shrubs of gorgeous coloring of foliage or flowers. 

 The soul finds rest in large areas of unbroken lawn, and 

 the sections reserved for burial should have very few 

 trees and shrubs; and these should be of simple, unob- 

 trusive kinds that give a quiet dignity to the landscape, 

 relieving" it of the gruesomeness which we commonly 

 associate with the burial lot. About one section in five 

 should be reserved for park and garden effects, the planting being- 

 grouped in heavy masses after the manner of natural groves ; and 

 it is well to remember that nature does things with a liberal hand. 

 It is a common mistake of cemetery boards to try to make a big 

 showing with a very small outlay, and shrul^s are cluttered all over 

 the grounds in a vain effort to beautify them, c|uite forgetful of 

 the fact that real beauty is dependent on contrasts of open lawn 

 and heavy border-planting, or to use the phrase of the portrait 

 artist, on high lights and shadows. 



A native growth of Elm, Oak, Beech. Ash or Maple is ideal 

 for a cemetery site, partly because such trees usually grow on 

 high land that has good drainage, and partly because these trees 

 have a peculiar grace of outline and a beatitude of peace in their 

 very pose. Where such trees are lacking they should be supplied, 



PERGOLA IN CEMETERY 



A new idea in cemetery architecture is the erection of a pergola on the family 

 burial lot. It is an outdoor room of peaceful beauty, flanked and canopied with 

 vines, and entirely free from the gruesomeness which we commonly associate with 

 cemetery lots. The lines of the pergola should be very plain, the columns Tuscan, 

 and the planting soft in tone. The practice of planting flowers of gorgeous color 

 should be abandoned, as they are destructive of all suggestions of peace and rest. 

 Mr. Edward Bok of Philadelphia, was the originator of this idea, and it is so 

 sensibly conceived as to merit widespread acceptance. The above picture shows 

 two adjoining lots similarly treated. The vines used are the Ivies. 



and the use of our Herculine Tree Machine will save twenty years 

 in the development of a bare propertv by using trees six to eight 

 inches in diameter. The former custom of ])lanting weeping wil- 

 lows and other contortions is not in good taste, and is largely dis- 

 continued for the reason that they seem to make a mockery of our 

 grief and are a mere travesty on melancholy ; or to use a Bible 

 phrase, they " laugh at our calamities and mock when our fear 

 cometh." 



Similarly among shrubs the varieties best suited for cemetery 

 planting possess subdued tones of color, both in foliage and flowers, 

 and their place is in large groups in the garden areas and along the 

 fences and borders. The Privet, Philadelphus, Deutzia, Rhodo- 

 typus, Indian Currant, Dogwood, Spiraea, Viburnum, Bush Honey- 

 suckle and Barberry are all suitable. 



