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The Surrouridings of a Small Country Home 
By Lawrence Irwell, New York 
ANY people who wish to have an attractive perfect gem of nature with every feature in harmony, 
country home, surrouniled by beautiful A great part of the charm of such a garden is in its 
grounds, are deterred from acquiring such a unexpectedness — the more the imagination is called 
place by the impression that to possess the surround- 
ings which they have in mind will involve a great 
amount of land as well as a large annual expenditure 
of either money or personal energy — or both. 
A great deal of land is not at all necessary ; a very 
pretty place can be made out of five acres — a place 
that will satisfy the desires of the average man who 
wants to see trees, shrubs and flowers all around his 
upon, the better will be the ei¥ect. Nature loves mys- 
tery, and it is by lending this effect that the charm 
of a garden can be enhanced. Part of the pleasure 
of a woodland walk is the unexpected opening up here 
and there of charming vistas and beautiful ])oints of 
view. So it should be in the home garden. 
When planning a small country home, consideration 
should first be given to the high and low points, and 
home. Of course, if one wants a perfectly appointed to massing of shadows. Large trees should be planted 
countr}- home, with woodland, formal garden, lawns, only on the outer edge of the property. Perhaps a 
tennis courts, a garage and similar appurtenances, at wiser plan would be not to plant large trees anywhere, 
least ten acres of ground are required. But the aver- Even this precaution is not sufficient. No trees should 
age man does not want and cannot afford so large a be planted which in time will grow so large that they 
place. will dwarf the surrounding landscape. If these pre- 
A country home with a frontage of one hundred and cautions are neglected, in a few years the grounds are 
fifty feet and about three hundred feet deep can be so likely to resemble a wilderness, and they may look 
laid out as to be perfectly satisfactory to most men worse than a wilderness, because nature seldom per- 
and women whose desires are limited to having at- ""** overplanting. By some form of survival of the 
tractive grounds and views around them. A home of ^^"7^' "'^^ destroys whatever is undesirable. 
^, .,•,,,,.,, , , , . , . ihe most suitable trees for a small property are 
this kind should be looked at from the artists pent English elms, lindens and willows. When deciding: 
of view. Everything in the perspective must fit in „po„ trees and shrubs, the question of harmony must 
as to color, distance and other features, very much 
as they do in a picture of a landscape. A small piece 
of ground must have jilenty of open spaces or the 
beauty will be lost. There are a number of ways of 
laying out such a jjiece of ground so as to make it a 
never be overlooked. Deciduous trees and evergreens- 
do not always harmonize. If, therefore, both are used,, 
they should be grouped separately. Birches, maples,, 
and the Kentucky coffee tree are suitable for small 
estates. As the years to come must be considered,, 
trees should be planted fifty feet a])art. As has been 
A Secluded Garden Spot Tnuisfoniied From City Lots Through the Tasteful Grouping of Trees and Shrubhcrw 
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