18 
GARDENING IN THE SOUTHWEST 
Latin 
Anglo- 
Saxon 
America 
extent of his power to protect his possessions, the nature of his 
walled-in recreation spots varied in relative proportion. These 
earliest known gardens of Persia, China, and the Far East, were, 
of necessity, small plots of green, with a bit of shade (a fruit or 
nut-tree, or a vine-covered arbor) with a tiny pool or fountain; 
designed for meditation and relaxation. 
Adapting this idea from the Great Moguls of the East, Spain, 
Italy and France have elaborated on it, producing racial varia¬ 
tions of the theme. The Italian characteristic is few blossoms on 
their triple-terraced vistas which emphasize reflected beauty of 
many shades, together with diversity of texture and height, in 
dominant green, mirrored in still pools that are bordered with occa¬ 
sional statues and inviting walks to quiet nooks. France is more 
architecturally inclined, adding numerous rest, or summer houses, 
and a variety of arbors. Their plants are clipped and forced into 
unnatural shapes and their vistas are more studied; while the 
Spanish interpretation more nearly follows the Oriental, with 
potted, blooming plants about a pool within their walled enclos¬ 
ures. 
The Anglo-Saxon passion for freedom and intense feeling for 
color—born, possibly, of their reaction to the dreariness and strug¬ 
gle for brightness during long, cold, grey winters—is clearly dem¬ 
onstrated in their gardens. Theirs was not a need for the coolness of 
a shaded nook or relief for the eye from the intensity and bril¬ 
liance of copper-hot sky. So, the inclusion of gay flowers into the 
garden in quantity was introduced by them. With the gradual 
awakening of appreciation for the beauties of Nature’s garden, in 
comparatively modern times, the Oriental, conventional, or for¬ 
mal garden is being rivalled today by the naturalistic or informal 
garden. 
The underlying needs of individual temperament are being 
recognized, studied and met by adapting and combining ideas from 
East, West, North and South. In America a new type of garden is 
being evolved. It has been suggested that perhaps our contribution 
to the theme will be our interpretation of the hillside garden (a 
