TASTE AND TACT IN ARRANGING HOME AND OTHER GROUNDS. 531 



for planting here would be specimens of Carolina poplar 

 — a very neat-looking tree, which does not sprout like 

 other poplars, and often reaches a height of 20 feet in 

 three years from planting. European larches, Scotch 

 and white pines, Norway spruces, varieties of silver ma- 

 ple, the European bird-cherry, the laurel-leaved willow, 

 the royal willow, the ailantus, etc., would all be suit- 

 able for planting here. Let but a rich soil and clean 

 cultivation be given to these trees, and it is surprising 

 what a mass of wood and foliage they will give five years 

 from planting. Some flowering shrubs that, planted 

 next to such trees, would enliven the mass of their 

 bloom and varied foliage, are strong-growing weigelias 

 like amabilis and Candida; spiraeas— Billardi, sorbi- 

 tolia, opulifolia and callosa— single mock-orange, lilac, 

 cljeagnus, forsythia, ornamental plum, etc. Good per- 

 ennial plants for such a place are the hollyhock, d< 

 phiniums, helianthuses, liliums — candidum, tigrinum, 

 umbellatum and hemerocallis— upright phloxes, etc. 



Standing away from the mass alluded to, and be- 

 tween it and the circle, as shown in fig. 2, might be 

 ]>laced three trees, a double scarlet thorn, a cork- 

 barked maple, and a yellow-wood or Cladrastis 

 linctoria. 



In treating the creek front there is ample room for 

 the exercise of taste and good judgment. In a land- 

 scape of any kind water appears with better effect 

 when seen in vistas appearing between trees that 

 stand at or near the shore, than in an unbroken ex- 

 panse ; hence it is fitting that groups and masses of 

 trees be introduced in this part, leaving open views in 

 the direction of the dotted lines in fig. 2. Some trees 

 and plants are better suited by nature for growing 

 along the water than others, and mistakes should 

 never be made in choosing the right kinds. Our 

 correspondent's allusion to a boat-house implies that 

 the creek is used for boating, and it will be easy to 

 arrange the planting with a view to pretty effects in 

 the garden as seen from the water. 



In the arrangement of the water-edge groups a dis- 

 tribution of trees, etc., such as is shown in fig. 2, 

 might be as satisfactory as any. In selecting sorts 

 of trees and sites for planting them, let us start from 

 the back of the boat-house. Here, next to the house, 

 might be placed a group of tamarisk a little in from 

 the water's edge, and back of this a European larch. 

 These trees are much alike in general effect, their foli- 

 age and branches having alight, feathery appearance. 



Crossing an open space back of this group, a rather 

 bold mass of foliage is indicated. Suppose we set 

 lengthwise the center of the mass two European white- 

 birch trees, and outside of these such free-growing flow- 

 ering shrubs as bush honeysuckles, deutzias, sumachs, 

 including the purple-fringe, and toward the water the 

 ornamental elders in three or four varieties. For the 

 margin of the group fine hardy kinds of perennial flowers 

 can be employed. Next to the margin of the bed as we 

 proceed up the bank, set moisture-loving plants like the 

 iris, day lily, wild Canadian lily, hardy lobelia, eulalia. 



marsh-marigold and sarracenias — these down next to the 

 water-line. In the water, assuming that the creek is 

 shallow near the edge, might be planted the pickerel- 

 weed (pontederia), which forms clumps of stately plants 

 with fine leaves and attractive blue flowers, the arrow- 

 head{Saffi7(arm va>-ial>t7is), and white and yellow water- 

 lilies. Here would be the place to try the wonderful 

 nelumbium known as the Egyptian lotus, which is found 

 to do well in many places north. Other rare aquatic 

 plants that might be suited to the place are offered by 



"a 



Fig. 



The same as Fig. i, with certain improvements. 



dealers, but the foregoing, with the exception of the 

 lotus, are indigenous to the latitude of the grounds, and 

 are certain to succeed with little trouble. 



Further along the bank, a little back from the water's 

 edge, two or three red-oak trees might be located, with a 

 weeping willow or a laurel-leaved willow down almost at 

 the water. From this point, crossing an open space of 

 lawn, there might be planted a continuous clump of 

 moisture-loving plants, reaching to the further limit of 



