76 
House & Garden's 
The foliage of trees forms a background to the brick wall, which encloses the formal garden with its pool mirroring the branches 
and sky, its stretches of turf and flagged walks. It is an ornate creation in a rugged setting—each the richer by the contrast 
A WA LLED GARDEN SET IN THE WOODS 
On the Place of Henry G. Lapham, Esq., at Brookline, Mass., Has Been 
Made a Formal Garden of Great Distinction 
T HIS garden was designed to serve as an 
adjunct to the house. The problem was 
a difficult one for the reason that the main 
grounds were purposely left in a natural state, 
the only artificial element being the garden 
proper. 
This is surrounded by a brick wall at the 
rear of which is a natural park where fine 
trees and shrubs with effective ground cover 
are planted to good advantage and where many 
wild flow'ers are encouraged to grow and 
blossom. The background of trees brings out 
to advantage the brick wall with its topping of 
cement and proves an effectual wind-break. 
Leaving the house proper, one treads a 
stretch of soft green turf, which is the central 
feature of the upper garden. This follows the 
gradual slope of the land and is surrounded 
by by-paths that lead down to broad steps. 
Boxes filled with yellow pansies, vincas and 
purple pansies stand at regular intervals. 
The planting is especially interesting. It 
is mainly evergreen and includes spruces, hem¬ 
locks, junipers, dwarf evergreens, cactus and 
Japanese pines, together with broad leaf ever¬ 
greens such as rhododendrons and leucothoes, 
with good ground covers planted beneath. 
There are pansies, blue, yellow and white, and 
violets, mingling with some of the native lilies. 
The Garden Proper 
This prepares us for the garden proper, 
which is laid out like a great painting on the 
landscape. Passing down the step we enter 
a wide flag walk with the grass growing be¬ 
tween the stones. Along the terrace wall, di¬ 
viding the two sections of flowers, are lilies, 
double hollyhocks, iris, lupins, asters, single 
sunflowers and monkshood, as well as ever¬ 
greens, deciduous trees and Japanese maples, 
most of which are planted for winter effect. 
An oval pool has been placed in the center 
of the design. To break its severity, there have 
been introduced baskets of fruit. Vases and 
stone lions are introduced, on the rim. Low 
benches stand conveniently nearby, and beyond 
is the exedra of the curving garden wall. 
At the left and right of the pool are rect¬ 
angular flower beds with small borders of 
Japanese barberry, and at the extreme right in 
the upper comer, is an attractive little tea¬ 
house, or gazebo. Another summer-house is 
found on the right of the garden wall. 
The beds at the left of the water garden are 
planted for a succession of bloom, and al¬ 
though this is essentially an early summer plot, 
yet there are blossoms until frost. Pansies, 
violets, iris, peonies, marigolds and snap¬ 
dragons, together with baby’s-breath and 
monkshood, have been planted here. Against 
the wall are fine specimens of buddleia. As 
an edging plant pachysandra has been used, 
and sedum chosen to outline the lower wall. 
Near the gate that leads out to the sur¬ 
rounding ground hollyhocks have been planted 
for color accents, while vincas, pansies and 
baby’s-breath grow in and around the barberry 
hedge. Near the house and outside the wall 
are massed plantings of hardy shrubs. 
