March, 1910 
HOUSE AND GARDEN 
11 5 
the white painted exterior, orsome 
detail of the porch columns or 
capitals. 
The first illustration shows an 
entranceway for a rear garden 
combined with a fence of unique 
design. The lower part of the 
enclosure is made with medium- 
width boards stained an unob¬ 
trusive green and set upright with 
open spaces three inches wide be¬ 
tween. The upper portion of the 
fence is made of rather closely 
set lattice work, which is painted 
white to correspond with the posts 
and also with the trimmings of 
the house. Virginia creeper makes 
a luxuriant foliage on one side of 
this entrance, and lilies and ferns 
are grown in the opposite spaces. 
It will be readily seen that the 
charm of such a gateway lies in its 
suitability to its surroundings and 
that the opportunity to add to 
the pictorial aspect of the place has 
been artistically comprehended. 
In many of our country, su¬ 
burban and even town homes 
there is a chance to add as a unit¬ 
ing link between the house and 
garden an attractive gate or en¬ 
trance. That this opportunity is 
often overlooked is largely due to the conventional spirit of the 
times which is as apparent outside of our homes as within. 
Many people travel through Italy and become, during their 
trip, steeped in the atmosphere of out-door beauty, but return 
to live in their commonplace settings, apparently uninspired by 
their experiences. 
The application of Italian landscape 
work to our own conditions is not in¬ 
tended by this statement to be regarded 
as the ultima thule of the American garden, 
but attention should be called to 
the fact that certain artistic prin¬ 
ciples that are so generously and 
generally expressed in Southern 
Europe might serve a deeper, 
more lasting purpose than the 
transitory gratification of the 
tourist’s eye. 
Then, too, the amateur gar¬ 
dener is apt to find so many inter¬ 
esting phases of flower cultivation 
coming up, that all of his time, 
strength and ingenuity are ex¬ 
pended in this direction and the 
entranceways are neglected. 
In one home, where four gener¬ 
ations had planted and tended a 
flower garden on rather an exten¬ 
sive scale, a small wicket gate had 
always been the means of en¬ 
trance until a member of the 
household became convinced of 
its ineffectiveness and devised 
something better. A brick post 
was placed at either side spanned 
by an arch of heavy wire. Climb¬ 
ing roses in the course of a few 
years embowered this simple 
structure and spread their blos¬ 
soms, during the season of their 
flowering, over the framework. 
Another expedient of a still 
less pretentious character was the making of a pair of low posts 
with field stones, and planting climbing nasturtiums in boxes 
that fitted the top. 
Each in its way suited its position so admirably that it seemed, 
even when first adopted, to belong perfectly with the general 
scheme. You may have a wealth of color 
in your garden, a splendid succession of 
bloom, but if there is no formal entrance, 
your garden lacks the one thing that will 
complete its individuality. 
A green-painted lattice arch spans the marble steps of one of the 
entrances of the Pickman garden, Beverly Cove, Mass. Little 
& Brown were the architects 
A solid door is unusual in a garden entrance, 
but it has the merit of holding the view 
back for a complete surprise 
Let the architectural character of the garden 
entrance always harmonize in color, design 
and materials with the house itself 
For the sunken garden a winding stairs such 
as this excellent example gives one a variety 
of views as he descends 
