26 
The Garden Magazine, March, 1923 
Mattie Edwards Hewitt, Photo. 
THE RESTFUL DIVERSITY OF ALTERNATING HEIGHT AND MASS 
i mmm 
The apparently unrestrained naturalness of this planting is the happy result of skillful planning which has achieved balance without a taint of artifice. 
Sweet Alyssum in the foreground clearly conveys the value of irregular repetition of mass. Garden of Mrs. Robert Brewster, Mt. Kisco, N. Y. 
need be repeated, and perhaps Coreopsis grandiflora and the 
Shasta Daisies in consideration of their value in composition with 
the Delphiniums. Then we have plants such as Dahlias and 
Anchusas, which, on account of their heavy foliage and strong 
growing character, must be used with great care; and it is a 
debatable question whether they belong to the small flower 
garden at all! Asters or Michaelmas Daisies, tall Heleniums, 
Hollyhocks, and others of similar growing habits, unless distri¬ 
buted intermittently, give a very disquieting lopsided effect, 
making the spectator feel as if it were necessary to raise one eye 
higher than the other in order to balance the picture. 
The design of a garden may be such as to make it quite 
practical to devote certain parts to special varieties or com¬ 
binations of plants without destroying the balance of color or 
of form of the garden taken as a whole. Such a garden is shown 
in the accompanying plan. (See preceding page.) 
The entrance to this garden is at (A) on the axis from the 
house. A grass walk confronts us, bordered with flowers of 
medium height (B); in the centre of the borders are poles con¬ 
nected by chains, over which ramble the various Wichuraiana 
Hybrid Roses. The cross axis (C) affords an opportune spot 
for a sun-dial or some kindred objective to draw our footsteps 
thither and then halt us where we may enjoy the full sweep 
of the garden. In the deep recess of the border (D) at the right 
such plants as Peonies, Lilies, Gladiolus, Canterbury-bells, Fox¬ 
gloves, and Japanese Anemones find roomy accommodation; 
and when the Canterbury-bells and Foxgloves have passed their 
flowering period they maybe replaced by annuals (or some of the 
pale salmon-pink Cannas and the white Cannas, in the very 
dwarf form, could be selected). The foliage of the Japanese 
Anemones mingling with that of the Cannas, eliminates their 
coarseness, and this grouping forms one of the most interesting 
and effective plant compositions I know of. 
In the centrally located beds (E) of the main garden, varieties 
of tall Bearded Iris may be grouped in such a manner as to allow 
a ground cover of blue Forget-me-nots which flower simultane¬ 
ously. For mid and late summer bloom replace the Forget-me- 
nots with such annuals as Verbenas and Phlox Drummondi. 
As a main background, let the borders marked (F) contain 
strong and tall growing plants, graduating down to medium 
and low growing toward the front. The borders marked (G) 
are at the base of a dry wall retaining the Rose garden, and 
should have in them only plants of medium growth. 
The Rose garden is entered by ascending a flight of steps, and 
is planned for the use of various forms of Roses: Dwarf Polyan- 
thas (H); dwarf and spreading Hybrid-teas (J); medium height 
Hybrid-teas (K); the fairly tall to very tall Hybrid-teas and a 
few of the Hybrid-perpetuals (M); Standard Roses (P). Over 
the low fence surrounding the semicircle some of the climbing 
Hybrid-teas, or the Dawson Roses could be effectively grown; 
while forming the background of the semicircle (at N) space has 
been allowed for some of the other many beautiful species of 
Rose (including some of the newer Chinese introductions like 
Father Hugo’s Rose) all too rarely seen in gardens. 
