PARK AND CEMETERY. 
34 « 
AN IMPOSING EXHIBIT OF GERMAN GARDEN ART 
Empire building! What splendid op- 
portunities abound for the master hand 
to grasp. The very air is saturated with 
creative possibilities, and everything 
prompts the onward spirit to success. 
Mind and soul are overflowing with de- 
sire for achievements. No wonder that 
the Fatherland commands our attention. 
Every magazine, chronicling the works 
of those that do things in the Empire, is 
watched with keen interest wherever 
art and science develop new possibili- 
ties. 
Whether we agree with the new 
thought is immaterial. It does this 
much ; it sets us thinking, and that alone 
shows merit. A country that is alive 
as is Germany of today, a country that 
has the courage and convictions to fol- 
low its own inclinations, must surely be 
able to produce results. There is bound 
to be a great deal of faulty construction, 
but there also must be some good work 
done, and the latter, the “Crown of Svtc- 
cess,” influences weaker nations or 
races, and thereby creates new thoughts 
beneficial to all mankind. 
Among the arts that of garden mak- 
ing has not slumbered. E.xhibitions of 
recent years demonstrate this. Of the 
highest importance was the exhibition 
held in the city of Mannheim during last 
summer. The very thought of creating 
garden exhibits of such magnitude sur- 
prises us, because with the utmost 
energy put forth we are only able to 
produce a small flower-show lasting at 
the most one week. 
No other country under the sun could 
make garden exhibits of the German 
kind a success.- This indicates the great 
desire there must exist for art “out-of- 
doors” in the Empire, and we cannot 
but feel that in outdoor art we are yet 
in the pioneer days. The new move- 
ment in garden art is not left to the 
landscape gardener, nor to the architect 
alone, but even professors of universi- 
ties and painters enter the field for 
honors and distinction. 
In a previous letter on German land- 
scape art the writer made special note 
of the influences of militarism in Ger- 
man art. Assertions to this effect are 
made here again. The desire for display 
By JENS JENSEN 
SuPt. West Park System^ Chica/s^o 
{See illtistrations on coz>er) 
— the grand parade, in glittering uniform 
is apparent. Seeing through American 
eyes the gardens illustrated and e.xhib- 
ited at Mannheim have more of the 
court feeling in them that those we 
would consider gardens, '['here is a 
very noticeable absence of flowers in 
these gardens, or courts, and how can 
any one conceive a garden without flow- 
ers? The Henckel Garden is e.xcepted, 
l)ut as this one shows too much Oriental 
spirit it cannot be considered a typical 
German creation. The character of 
some of the other gardens is strongly 
Romanesque, indicating that the same 
thoughts, the glory of the Empire, 
a great many garden pets of foreign 
birth that needed proper housing during 
winter. What an inspiring thing this 
garden was with its barrels and boxes 
towering high ! There is warmth and 
charm in the sturdy spruce with its 
boughs glistening with snow, typical of 
the Northlands, and how interesting are 
many of our trees in winter, even with- 
out their foliage. These things add 
pleasure and comfort to the garden. In- 
troduced plastic forms, or buildings, in 
their gray colors merely add more cold 
and more severity to the landscape. 
This docs not mean that plastic works 
should be e.xcluded from the garden. 
Quite the rever.se, but they should not 
dominate, and if possible have a back- 
ground of evergreen trees for contrast. 
ILLUSTRATIONS COURTESY DIE GARTENKUNST 
PLAN OF THE GARDENS OP PROF. M. LAUGER. 
Mannheim Gardening- Exposition. 
])romptcd both. Yet if this is true the 
shortcomings remain on the German 
side. The Romans created their gardens 
in accordance witli existing climatic 
conditions, customs and religion, and 
these gardens were assured of their ver- 
dure the entire year around. This is 
of great importance in garden making 
where plastic work takes such great 
prominence as in the Mannheim Exhibit, 
d'hese gardens unquestionably add but 
very little comfort and pleasure to the 
home during the long winter months 
when vegetation is cold and bleak. 
This calls to mind a friend who had 
thereby lending more charm to the gar- 
den in winter, as well as during the 
summer months. Sculpture brought into 
our gardens must be fitting. The gar- 
dens of Professor Liiiiger from our 
point of view cannot be considered any- 
thing else but courts. They also show 
a decided lack of knowledge of vegeta- 
tion. Of the late Mr. Tripp, director of 
parks in the city of Hanover, it was 
said that he built gardens and parks to 
last, ;md in this respect differed from 
the modern garden designer whose gar- 
dens are only temporary. The rose 
garden of the great Professor Langer 
