February, 1920 
A1 
At the time this photograph was taken the planting was only one year old. The bird bath in the center had not then been installed, 
but the general effect of the planting is well shown and lends an air of spaciousness to the grounds 
A FORMAL GARDEN on a CITY LOT 
The Charm of the Formal Garden Transforms and Beautifies 
the Flat and Treeless City Lot 
L. FULLER 
T he formal garden is Nature’s tapestry. 
It need not be large to be beautiful. In 
fact, the formal garden lends to small grounds 
an air of spaciousness. It often casts a manor 
house glamor over what would otherwise be 
only a patch of sky 
and plot of earth with 
a house set stark be¬ 
tween. 
Think of the bare 
nakedness of any 
house on the average 
flat, treeless city lot 
with street and crowd¬ 
ed houses on either 
side. No privacy, no 
protection from the 
summer heat, nothing 
to rest the eye or soul. 
Remembering this, 
sense the charm of 
this formal garden. 
The lot is about 50’ 
by 70’, yet it seems a 
spacious outdoor liv¬ 
ing room, so placed 
as to give dignity and 
character to the 
dwelling while af¬ 
fording the family a 
retiring place of quiet 
beauty and sheltered 
seclusion. 
A study of the plan 
reveals harmony of form and color, close at¬ 
tention to details and proportion, e.xecuted 
with the unity of thought necessary to good 
taste. Briefly, the high points in the plan 
are: 
The lot is only SO' by 70', yet its formal arrangement 
to the dwelling without sacrificing the charm of 
gives a certain dignity 
privacy and seclusion 
Selection and arrangement of shrubs and 
trellis to give privacy to grounds while per¬ 
mitting the passerby pleasing glimpses of 
water, shrubs and trees. 
Foundation planting that ties the house and 
grounds together, 
making it a beautiful 
picture framed in 
shruljs. 
In selecting flowers 
and shrubs the fol¬ 
lowing points were 
considered: first, color 
combinations; second, 
contrast in height and 
color; third, a suc¬ 
cession of blossoms 
from April to autumn 
frosts; fourth, pleas- 
From the house one 
looks past lovely flow¬ 
er beds and a bird 
bath to the latticed 
gate. Entering the 
gate, one sees the 
house in its delightful 
setting. From the 
trellised seats on 
either side three fine 
views are possible. 
And yet it is all on a 
city lot, landscaped by 
Charles S. LaSurer. 
