PARK AND CEMETERY. 
3 
THE LANDSCAPE GARDENER AND HIS WORK; 
The term “Landscape Gardener,” instead ol 
“Landscape Engineer” or “Landscape Architect,” 
is used here because it is believed by the writer to 
be the most suitable to convey the meaning in- 
tended. When one considers engineering in con- 
nection with landscapes, instead of thinking of any 
artistic production, he is more apt to think of the 
scars along mountain sides, of the destruction of 
beautiful scenery along river banks, of the changing 
of water courses into sewers, of railway embank- 
ments, canals and dams. The term “architect” 
brings to mind a man who aims to design artistic 
structures. His materials are stone, brick, the va- 
rious metals, wood, glass, paint, etc. If “Land- 
scape Architect” had not been used by some of 
the foremost landscape gardeners in this country 
one would imagine it to designate a man who de- 
signed summer houses, pavilions, balustrades, 
fences, hedges and things with stiff and formal 
lines. Indeed, the very men who now use this term 
at first protested against its use, but it was forced 
upon them. On the other hand, the term Land- 
scape Gardener has first, “landscape,” which as de- 
fined by Hamerton must necessarily be an artistic 
portion of the earth’s surface, and then “gardener,” 
which indicates that the materials used will be those 
found in a garden. The objections made to this 
term come primarily from those who regard a gar- 
den as a place in which to raise vegetables for the 
kitchen, but garden meant originally a place that 
gave pleasure by the arrangement and beauty of its 
trees, shrubs and flowers. Perhaps it corresponded 
most nearly with our ideas of the Garden of Eden 
before we had read Darwin. Mrs. Van Rensselaer 
has very happily called the pleasing effects pro- 
duced by judiciously arranged masses of foliage, 
flowers, lawns, water and varied land surfaces, 
“Art Out of Doors.” To become acquainted with 
the principles and literature of this art one must 
read what Repton, Loudon, Downing, Kemp, Rob- 
inson, Olmsted, Parsons, Mrs. Van Rensselaer and 
others have written on landscape gardening. So far 
as I am aware no one has yet written a book on 
landscape architecture. 
What are the attainments of a skillful landscape 
gardener? He follows a fine art which appeals to 
the eye and has to do with what we see from our 
windows and from our carriages or bicycles as we 
pass along residence streets, boulevards and parks. 
His art applies to any outdoor scenery which can 
be affected by the hand of man. It is of the first 
importance, therefore, that he know how to arrange 
the ground surface, the trees, shrubs and other 
plants, the ponds and streams, the points of view 
and the open spaces or vistas, so that the general effect 
will be pleasing, not necessarily to the public, but to 
the most cultured and artistic people. No matter how 
great his knowledge of soils, of drainage, of road 
construction and of the structure and characteristics 
of the various species of plants may be, if he fails 
to make an artistic arrangement he is not a land- 
scape gardener. 
Next in importance to a knowledge of arrange- 
ment comes the ability to produce a result which, 
with a reasonable amount of attention, will continue 
to improve with added years of growth. This ability 
will rest in part on an acquaintance with the habits 
and life history of the plants used and of the situa- 
tions to which they are adapted. 
The proper location of the points of view will 
require a study of the relations of buildings, drives 
and walks to the landscapes. Where the landscape 
is an important feature the landscape gardener 
should work with the architect in the preparation 
of the preliminary sketches. Unfortunately archi- 
tects frequently design residences and other build- 
ings without any regard to the site and the charac- 
teristic features which may have attracted the own- 
er. Cases are not unknown where houses have 
been so designed and placed that the kitchen and 
servants’ rooms shut off the very best views from 
the family living rooms. 
A landscape gardener should be skilled in what 
Mr. Olmsted calls “the anatomical plan.” He should 
not only be able to place drives where they will 
command good views while not interfering with 
the landscape, but he should know how to place 
them so they will be convenient, have easy grades 
and proper drainage and how to construct them in 
a durable manner with a satisfactory wearing sur- 
face. He should know how to economize in regard 
to space and cost of the work coming under his di- 
rection. While he should have no pecuniary inter- 
est in any work that is carried on — that is, should 
have no interest in any nursery or greenhouse, or 
act as agent for any firm, — he should usually pur- 
chase the material furnished by nurserymen on ac- 
count of his knowledge of what is required, the 
prices that should be paid and the standing of the 
various nursery firms.. He will often be able to 
save an owner several times the amount of his fees 
by his knowledge of the value of plants. His work 
should commence with a study of the adaptability 
of a given piece of ground for the purpose in- 
tended, especially when that purpose is the making 
of a park, a botanic or public garden, a cemetery, 
home grounds or the location of a public street. 
The ground in question may have features which 
would be of great importance in the design to be 
worked out, such as an important view of a large 
body of water, a valley or a distant stretch of coun- 
