Book of Gardens 
ARBORS, 
55 
SUMMER-HOUSES and TRELLISES 
A Discussion of the General Principles Which Underlie Their Use—The Questions of Style , 
Location and Proper Emphasis in the Landscape Scheme 
house. Pan and his court lurk some¬ 
times near, if not within, the shadow 
of an arbor, but they never approach 
a house. 
There must be nothing about an 
arbor to dispel this sense of freedom, 
nothing — continuing the fancy — 
that will alarm the timidest faun or 
nymph, or make them fearful of im¬ 
prisonment. Yet it must be a shelter 
and afford seclusion from the sun 
and heat; and even possibly from a 
little summer shower, though cer¬ 
tainly not roofed to withstand real 
rain. Where rain cannot go, dryads 
and satyrs never will! 
Then it must be so open that birds 
and bees and breezes may come and 
go at will; and it must be t so com¬ 
pletely in harmony with nature all 
around that both bees and birds will 
frequent it as freely as they do the 
trees. Within these specifications it 
may take any form and be made of 
any material one wishes; and it may 
be situated wherever the natural 
landscape, or a preconceived picture, 
may determine. But it must always 
follow the architectural lead of the 
house. 
A sense of leafy shade on a sunny day_, 
of freedom from the imposed convention¬ 
ality of a house, should characterize the 
well planned arbor 
The true arbor is never roofed to with¬ 
stand a real rain. Its very nature de¬ 
mands that it be open for free passage of 
bird or bee or breeze 
F IRST come, first served, and so 
to first thoughts, which are usu¬ 
ally indicative of something. They 
are especially significant when they 
have to do with outdoors. So what 
is the first thought when one speaks 
of an arbor? 
With the word there comes a sense 
of leafy shade on a summer day, of 
vagrant winds, sweet with all out¬ 
doors, of insect noises, of flickering 
wings and the importance of bug 
hunting and nest tending and what¬ 
not; and above all else, freedom from 
the everlasting impositions of con¬ 
ventionality as represented by a 
Where an individual plant 
needs support a trellis may 
serve a good purpose. But 
a random scattering of de¬ 
tached trellises shoidd be 
avoided in every case. Uni¬ 
ty of design there must be 
Another use of trellis is 
found in the residence of J. 
R. Potter, Esq., Great 
Neck, L. I. Here it incloses 
a pleasant outdoor living 
room under trees. Paid 
Hertwig was the architect 
