40 



THE AMERICAN GARDEN. 



AN IDEAL LAWN. 



A simple cottage, low, rambling, and pict- 

 uresque, inclosed "by boundaries of shrubbery 

 on every side. Fifty feet east and west ex- 

 tend the side lawns, and down to the north 

 slopes gradually the main street of turf, till 

 it ends at the winding banks of a clear and 

 rapid stream. A part of the bank is some- 

 what marshy, and here the opportunity has 

 been taken to plant sundry interesting herb- 

 aceous plants or wild flowers that affect such 

 spots. Willows of various kinds droop over 

 the water, and birches strike vigorous roots 

 into moist and congenial soil. Alders wave 

 and Cypresses stand elegant and tall in simi- 

 lar spots, until we come to solid, dry land in 

 the north-west corner. Here are masses of 

 Norway Spruces, alternated with Pines, and 

 here and there an Austrian Pine. This ever- 

 green grouping extends nearly up to the 

 house. The shelter thus afforded is, there- 

 fore, most complete, forming shelter and 

 background alike. This portion of the frame- 

 work of the picture also serves to bring out 

 harmoniously and effectively sundry beauti- 

 ful groups and single specimens of the finer 

 evergreens. As we approach the house, these 

 evergreens become smaller and more dwarf, 

 until, immediately about the building, we 

 find plants that grow only two feet, perhaps, 

 in ten or fifteen years. 



Back of the house and on the sides grow 

 deciduous shrubs, large and effective, bor- 

 dering the entire remaining portion of the 

 domain. These are varied, at intervals, by 

 the loftier heads of deciduous trees, — Maples, 

 Elms, and the like, — the trunks of which are 

 entirely hidden by the thickly and naturally 

 disposed shrubbery. On the corners, espe- 

 cially, are planted large Elms, intended to 

 mark and define more completely the bound- 

 aries of the lawn. Just within the inelosure 

 grow a few choice, medium-sized trees, stand- 

 ing isolated, as it were, but everywhere else 

 we meet mere shrubs or dwarf trees. As a 

 rule, moreover, we find evergreens and de- 

 ciduous plants each grouped by themselves. 



Yet, with all this variety of trees, the lawn 

 proper, or greensward, remains very promi- 

 nent, its broad, well-cultured stretches being, 

 on the whole, the most noteworthy part of 

 the design. 



Streams, borders of foliage, statuesque 

 small trees and larger specimens, all flow, as 

 it were, together in natural lines. Indeed, 

 harmony of color and lines, combined with 

 contrasts distinct enough to give variety, 

 characterize the entire scene. The position 

 of each plant is so related to the other, for 

 purposes of beauty and perfect development, 

 that one delights in the fair proportion and 

 entire unity of the design. It is a picture, 

 and yet something more than a picture : a 

 combination of foliage and grass constructed 

 not in servile imitation of Nature, but on the 

 principles employed by Nature in her most 

 pleasing work. The copse or glade is sug- 

 gested, and yet the treatment of each plant 

 of our lawn is very different from that of the 

 wildwood, and, indeed, more honorable to that 

 plant's highly cultured nature. Perfect main- 

 tenance, exquisite keeping are evident every- 

 where, from the skillfully pruned shrub to the 

 velvet turf that catches athwart its beautiful 

 surface the level rays of the setting sun. 



Unfortunately, such lawns are extremely 

 rare in America. We are learning to appre- 

 ciate them, and in time will have them, 

 though the progress in that direction is slow ; 

 and I feel certain that nothing is more likely 

 to aid in the development of a true knowledge 

 of the resources of lawn planting, than the 

 consideration of hardy ornamental trees and 

 shrubs. 



SMILAX. 

 (Myrsiphyllaiii asparagoides.) 



ROCKERIES. 



In constructing Rockeries, we should en- 

 deavor to imitate Nature as closely as possi- 

 ble under existing conditions. A rockery, to 

 be effective and pleasing, must be adapted 

 to and in keeping with the surroundings. 

 Hardly anything is more objectionable in a 

 lawn, and offends the eye more, than an 

 inappropriately located rockery. On the 

 other hand, such a structure, properly situ- 

 ated, skillfully built, and tastefully planted, 

 imparts to its surroundings a quiet, natural 

 charm which cannot be produced with trees 

 and groups of plants alone. 



A common mistake in building rockeries is 

 to make the center of rocks. Plants cannot 

 grow in stones. These should form only the 

 outward lining to the soil which constitutes 

 the body of the work, and should be placed 

 upright, so as to leave enough space between 

 them for the plants to grow and develop. 



The proper selection of suitable plants is 

 of equal importance, and no better guidance 

 can be obtained in this matter than by study- 

 ing and observing the plants which grow 

 in our woods under similar conditions. Most 

 charming rockeries may be made of native 

 Ferns alone. 



Hydrangea paniculata. — This magnifi- 

 cent fall-flowering shrub, although introduced 

 several years ago, is as yet not as well known 

 as it deserves. It is as hardy as the Weige- 

 lia, and flowers long after the showy spring- 

 flowering shrubs have ceased blooming. 

 Nothing can equal the grand effect of such a 

 group on a velvety lawn, when seen from a 

 short distance. 



AND GREENHOUSE. 



CLIMBERS FOR THE HOUSE. 



To select, from the rather extensive list of 

 greenhouse climbers, a few that are adapted 

 for cultivation in the window garden is to 

 the amateur a rather bewildering affair, for 

 upon examination of the catalogues of our 

 ; florists he finds them all described as "in- 

 dispensable," "most elegant," and "should 

 be found in all collections " ; and in his anx- 

 iety to select what he considers the best, he 

 often selects those that are ill adapted for 

 his purpose. Nor can he blame the florists 

 for all this, for most if not all the climbers 

 are, when grown in a soil, temperature, and 

 situation adapted to their particular needs, 

 truly beautiful, and deserve all that can 

 be said in their praise. 



In the greenhouse or conservatory, climb- 

 ing plants are indispensable, and no plant- 

 house would be considered complete unless 

 it contained a selection of climbers. Now 

 I claim that no window garden should be 

 considered complete unless it contains a 

 few climbing plants. In order to obtain suc- 

 cess, it is necessary that the plants selected 

 should be of easy culture, and adapted to 

 stand occasional sudden changes of tempera- 

 ture, and also those plants should be chosen 

 that are not liable to become infested with 

 insects. 



In selecting climbers for the window gar- 

 den, we should be guided somewhat by the 

 situation of the window and its exposure, for 

 if the window has a northern or eastern 

 exposure, it is not at all probable that the 

 plants would produce many flowers. For 

 such situations the Smilax, Nyrsiplnjllum 

 asparagoides, with its rich, wavy, glossy 

 foliage, and the Japanese Climbing Fern, 

 Lygodium scandens, a beautiful Fern, of 

 graceful twining habit, are well adapted, and 

 especially the English Ivy, Hedera Helix, 

 with its prettily veined, medium-sized leaves, 

 and the strong-growing Irish Ivy, Hedera 

 Hibernica. If we desire some plants with 

 variegated foliage, we have the silver-mar- 

 gined Ivy, Hedera marginata argentea varie- 

 gata, the foliage of which is margined with 

 white ; the golden-spotted Ivy, H. marmorata 

 elcgams, whose foliage is neatly and prettily 

 spotted with yellow ; H. Canariensis marmo- 

 rata, with large foliage, marbled with white, 

 and H. awea, with bright green foliage, 

 which merges into a golden hue. Cobaea 

 scandens, and Pilogyne suavis, a rapid-grow- 

 ing climber, with small glossy green leaves 

 and fragrant yellowish-white flowers, will 

 also do well, but, unfortunately, will not pro- 

 duce as many flowers as if grown in a sunny 

 situation. 



For a window with a sunny exposure, we 

 may select, in addition to those above men- 

 tioned, Maurandya Barelayana, and its blue, 

 white, and rose-colored varieties; Lophos- 

 pcrninm Hendersonii, with its large, hand- 

 some, rosy carmine flowers. Tropwohun 

 Lobbianum, and its varieties, and T. Lobbia- 

 num Spitfire, with its fiery red flowers, 

 will be found indispensable. The German 

 Ivy, Senecio scandens, is a rapid-growing 

 climbing plant, with yellow flowers and 

 glossy green leaves, and the new variety, 

 Senecio macroglossis, are both very desira- 

 ble plants for the window garden. In a room 



