132 
HOUSE AND GARDEN 
September, 1912 
The apparent size of the small place is much increased by dividing it 
into small units of lawn separated by trees and shrubs 
gave birth to the profession of landscape gardening as exempli¬ 
fied in the work of Repton in England, and Downing, Vaux, 
and Olmsted in this country. It represents a cultivated feeling 
for the delicate beauties of nature and a sensitiveness to her 
charm analogous to that of the landscape painter. Its victories 
are very great though they must be long sought, and compared 
to the beauties of architecture are sometimes more fleeting when 
they are attained. 
The practitioners of this creative art believe that since one 
cannot easily make the formal lines of the house extend to cover 
the whole place, it is better to have the house appear as if it were 
carefully set in a beautiful scene, as few changes being made 
in the scene as possible, rather than to have it seem as if one 
were attempting to influence the whole scene to make it sub¬ 
ordinate to the buildings, as is done sometimes in formal work 
The trees must have more than an aesthetic fitness for their positions. 
as grow naturally and easily in a like situation 
on a large scale in various places but particularly in France. 
The house on a place done in the naturalesque way should be 
fitted to the ground instead of having the ground fitted to the 
house. 
The intimate relation between the house and ground will give 
the house the appearance of having grown there, if indeed it 
does not look as if it had always been in just that spot and 
could not be moved to another and look as well. This effect of 
naturalness can be much increased by planting trees and shrubs 
about the house. 
In creating such a naturalesque landscape the inspiration must 
always come from the character of the ground itself which is the 
graceful form to which the clothing of verdure is to be fitted. 
Thus, if there are smooth hills and level valleys the height of 
the hills should be increased by trees at their top and the valley 
must be left open, as lawn or meadow. The trees should be elms, 
maples, willows or other such deciduous trees as will harmonize 
with the softness of the scene. Rugged pines and oaks or strik¬ 
ing cedars should be reserved for a landscape of steep hills with 
rocky precipices and a narrow stony valley. The trees must 
have more than an aesthetic fitness for their positions; they 
must also be such as grow naturally and easily in like situations. 
For instance, we should not like to see hemlocks on a dry sandy 
plain or pitch pines bordering a stream through a rocky gorge. 
The naturalesque style can be used on small places as well as 
on large ones, but it is least successful on a small place where 
the land is level, because then the house becomes dominant and 
a formal arrangement is more pleasing. For small suburban 
places it is a dangerous style to attempt. It is too likely to be 
childish without gaining the charm of the Japanese gardens, 
which are more like landscapes in miniature. 
The small place may be irregular in the contours of its surface, 
in which case its apparent size is much increased by division into 
small units of lawn well separated by plantations of shrubs and 
trees. There are usually views from such hilly places and these 
must be confined by planting to narrow vistas seen from care¬ 
fully chosen positions. The effect of the distant views can be 
much enhanced by using, near at hand, trees of deep green foli¬ 
age, which make a greater contrast with the 
blue distance and make it appear farther away. 
For the same reason, on a small place without 
a distant view it might be well to plant grey 
leaved trees of fine texture like the Bohemian 
olive on the borders of the place, to make its 
extent seem larger. 
Trees with large coarse leaves should not 
be used on a small place, because they are out 
of scale and will inevitably make it seem smal¬ 
ler. The height of the tree is, of course, more 
important than the texture, but large trees may 
be used on a small place near the house if the 
object be to dwarf the house. 
If there be an outcrop of ledge rock on the 
place, that may be taken as the keynote and it 
may perhaps be planted with ferns and mosses, 
with columbine and stone crop. The shrubs 
may be junipers or wild roses and the trees 
pines and scrub oaks, but all must be arranged 
to increase and accent the native charm of the 
place so that the beholder will constantly be 
tempted to say: “My, weren’t you lucky to 
find such a lovely spot,” unconscious that it is 
art helping nature which gives it its charm. 
There is never a place so uninteresting, ex¬ 
cept on the plains, that it will not furnish some 
They must be such theme to be developed, or have some striking 
character, worthy of our skill in preserving 
