644 TASTE AND TACT IN ARRANGING ORNAMENTAL GROUNDS. 



northwest. The lawn is open except where marked on the plat. 

 The soil is heavy loam. The vegetable-garden, not shown on the 

 plat, is situated on the bank of the river, at the southeast corner 

 of the lot. The grapery is on the terrace opposite the garden and 

 below the greenhouse. The house stands nearly in the center of 

 the lot, and our reception-room, library and living-room are on the 

 eastern side. The barn should be hidden by some kind of 

 growth." 



The grounds treated heretofore in our serial 

 have, most of them, presented a geometrical 

 array of sharp angles and straight lines, the 

 bristling effects of which we diligently strove 

 to overcome. In figure 3 this fault is not ap- 

 parent, for here irregular curves and outlines 

 seem to prevail. Therefore, as shown in figure 

 4, changes have been made only to improve 

 the curves of the drives and to introduce 

 on the grounds effective groups of ornamental 

 trees, shrubs, etc. 



In the front yard we wished to give more 

 character to the drive on the right-hand side 

 of the grounds, and to break the regularity 

 of curve in the drive that bounds the front lawn. 

 This was accomplished by carrying that part of the drive 

 just inside the west entrance a little to the left at first, 

 then bringing it round to the barn by a bold double 

 curve. A four-fold gain was secured by this course, 

 (i) The objectionable regularity in the shape of the front 

 lawn, as seen in figure 3, was overcome. A plat of this 

 kind never looks so well when two curves leading toward 

 the house are of the same form as when there is variety 

 in the shape of the approaches. (2) By bending the 

 right-hand drive considerably to the left within the west 

 entrance, a bold lawn plat, that can be heavily planted, is 

 secured between the drive and orchard, to the west, im- 

 parting much strength to the garden effect, at a point 

 where the original (fig. 3) is particularly weak, and un- 

 satisfactory to the owner. (3) The carriage-drive be- 

 tween the barn, the house and the left-hand entrance is 

 as conveniently direct in figure 4 as it is roundabout in 

 figure 3. (4) The several walks of the grounds adapt 



In considering the planting of the place, and also how 

 its existing woody parts were to be treated, special atten- 

 tion was given the forest lying to the rear of the house, 

 here cutting off the view of the river from the windows. 

 It is often quite as necessary to know what to cut away 

 in existing wood-growths, as to know where and what to 



Fig. I— Monument Park, Watertown. N, Y. (See page 



themselves more gracefully to the drive-system of the 

 new design than to the old. Observe, for instance, what 

 a pretty junction is revealed in figure 4, at the point 

 where the walk extends back from the drive at the 

 branch nearest the barn, and compare it with the junc- 

 tion at the same point in figure 3. 



Fig. 2,— Suggestions for Improving Fig. i (See page 642.) 



plant in vacant grounds. In the present case both con- 

 ditions must be dealt with. That relating to the forest 

 may be disposed of by the simple course of opening up, 

 from the house back, a complete vista extending through 

 to the river. The outlines of the clearing are left quite 

 irregular, while here and there a few of the handsomer 

 trees, if allowed to remain, will give the opening a park- 

 like aspect after a good coat of grass covers the ground. 



The planting suggested for the nearly vacant areas on 

 the front and sides of the house is mainly a liberal use 

 of trees, with flowering shrubs and other materials 

 brought in freely, thus completely embellishing the 

 place. Beginning with plat A (figure 4), to the east of 

 the house, the central one of the three large beds of ir- 

 regular outline might be devoted to hardy roses, includ- 

 ing hybrid perpctuals, moss, yellow and June roses, for 

 the center, with polyantha and other of the hardier 

 monthly roses next the margin. The bed lying north of 

 the roses might contain hardy shrubs of the following 

 kinds, arranging them somewhat in the order 

 here named from south to north: Deutzias, 

 including the dwarf gracilis and taller kinds of 

 the scabra and crenata class, mock-oranges in 

 variety, Ledebour's honeysuckle, Judas-tree or 

 redbud, ring-leaved willow, flowering almond 

 in several colors, double-flowering plum, and 

 althaeas in assortment. The shrubs standing 

 outside of this bed toward the street could in- 

 clude Persian lilacs. Four trees, might also 

 be planted in this plat — two American elms 

 and two Norway maples. 



Plat B, laying, as it does in a very conspicu- 

 ous position, might be planted for rich effect 

 as follows : Beginning at the end toward the house, there 

 might be located first a small bed filled in the spring with 

 crocuses and tulips, to be followed by tender bedding 

 plants. The two small trees just beyond, toward the 

 street, should be a specimen each of Young's weeping 

 birch and Magnolia sJ>eciosa\ Nearly opposite, across the 



