October, 1919 
19 
THE GARDEN of WINTER EFFECTS 
There Is No Need for Us to Crawl Into Our Garden Shells and Hibernate as Soon as Snow Flies — 
Let Us Give Heed to the Sturdy Garden that Is Planned for Cold Weather 
ROBERT STEEL 
S HOULD you ask any prominent landscape 
architect what phase of outdoor planting 
is most in need of development here in Amer¬ 
ica, the chances are rather more than even that 
he will say, “Planting for winter effect.” And 
if, then, you turn the matter over in your mind 
and consider how few of the private grounds 
you know in the northern states are really at¬ 
tractive from November to March, the proba¬ 
bilities again are that you will agree with him. 
Most of us are apt to take it for granted that 
the only gardening thoughts to think in win¬ 
ter are either prospective or in retrospect, 
unless, indeed, they 
have to do with in¬ 
door plants which are 
quite independent of 
weather conditions. 
Bleakness and for¬ 
bidding chill we 
take to be necessary 
evils which our 
grounds must en¬ 
dure until the spring 
sun brings them 
again to leaf and 
blossom. We accept 
winter much as we 
accept an appoint¬ 
ment at the dentist’s, 
as a thing inevitable 
and in no wise to be 
mitigated. 
Evergreens and 
Snow 
I wish that all 
who hold such views 
could go on a sunny 
day in January tc. a 
certain southward¬ 
looking slope above 
t h e valley of t h e 
Wissahickon, near 
Philadelphia. From 
the rambling field- 
stone house which 
crowns the hill the 
land drops away 
toward the stream in 
a dipping sweep of 
lawn which in sum¬ 
mer shows velvet 
green but now is white and flawless with fresh 
snow. Bounding the open on the east are elms 
and maples etched along the sky, and to the 
west is what appears at first glance to be a 
mere windbreak of densely planted arborvitae. 
Drawn by that curious attraction which 
evergreens exercise never more strongly than 
when the ground is white, you turn toward 
them and discover that they are a living wall 
enclosing a narrow, terraced garden which 
steps away down the hill in the cosiest seclu¬ 
sion imaginable. The simple square or oblong 
pools on the different levels are hidden by 
the snow, the bulb borders which in spring 
are gay with blossoms lie unsuspected now. 
But there is nothing bleak or repelling in the 
outlook, for this is as truly a garden as ever 
in midsummer—a garden of innumerable 
greens and sturdy cheer, defying the roughest 
winds and gathering to itself an unsuspected 
warmth of sunshine. It is a winter garden in 
the truest sense, and if you are unmoved to 
brush the snow from one of the stone benches 
and sit down to revel in the faint aroma from 
the evergreens and boxwood you are no real 
lover of gardening. 
Three Attributes 
The charm which 
marks this spot 
among the Wissa¬ 
hickon hills is the 
same which should 
characterize every 
garden planned for 
winter effects. It 
arises from three at¬ 
tributes: an evidence 
of wholesome life 
when all else out¬ 
doors seems dead, a 
strong massed con¬ 
trast of color with 
the surroundings, 
and a wealth of deli¬ 
cate detail. 
There need be no 
lack of subtlety in 
the winter garden, 
although it must of 
necessity be some¬ 
what less ethereal 
than where a sum¬ 
mer setting is at 
hand. Nor is mo¬ 
notony of coloring 
unavoidable; there 
are innumerable 
shades of green as 
well as wide variety 
of line and mass ef¬ 
fect among the coni¬ 
fers and broad- 
leaved evergreens, 
and the needed touch 
of brilliancy may be 
An interesting evergreen garden has been developed on the property of A. G. Paine, Jr., Esq., New 
York City. The roof of the garage has been utilized for tubbed trees which, with the pergola, 
give a pleasant outlook from the second floor of the house. C. P. 11. Gilbert, architect 
