Close to the House 



trained with sympathetic discretion, not al- 

 lowed to run wild, to hang in ragged gar- 

 lands, and overgrow porches and windows, 

 yet not forced into unnatural stiffness or 

 deprived of their characteristic manners of 

 development. 



Nor should they ever be allowed to cover 

 the walls entirely, for the walls, not the 

 creepers, are the main concern. Their archi- 

 tectural character should be kept distinct ; 

 and not alone for the sake of one pleasing 

 feature and another, but especially for the 

 sake of that effect of unity between house 

 and grounds which is so important. It is 

 surely a mistake to build a solid lower story 

 of stone or brick, and then allow it to be en- 

 tirely hidden, even during six months of the 

 year. The beauty of the architectural work 

 is lost, and, besides, the effect of upper 

 stories apparently based on a substructure of 

 fluttering leaves is most unfortunate. The 

 house does not seem to be rooted in the 

 ground; it seems to stand upon an unstable 

 bank of green. Vines enough may be grown 

 to beautify the walls and unite them well with 

 the ground, and yet spaces be reserved, below 



77 



