Landscape Gardening. 
In its true meaning, the term “ Landscape Gardening,” can be properly applied only to large estates or to lands 
of considerable scope, such as the great public parks in many of our cities. We use it here in its common accepta¬ 
tion, as meaning all kinds of out-door decorative gardening. It is probable that in this country the landscape- 
gardeners art will always be in greater request for the adornment of comparatively small suburban grounds than for 
large private parks. M e therefore propose to offer a few hints for the laying out and planting of small lawns. Our 
best writers on this subject are agreed that it is impossible to lay down definite rules that will be applicable to 
all cases; and it is our experience, as practical landscape-gardeners, that no two places can be treated in exactly 
the same way, with satisfactory results. And, though the principal features of a plan for one place may la?, 
modified to suit another, there must always be a considerable change made in the details. A separate study 
must be made of each place, 
and a selection of trees and 
shrubs made and arranged to 
harmonize with the house and 
its surroundings. To do this 
with any degree of success, re¬ 
quires a knowledge of tree and 
shrub growth, and of the color 
effects of flowers and foliage, 
possessed by few amateurs. 
Perhaps the cominonist error 
made in the planting of small 
places is that of planting too 
much, rather than too little, 
and the making of numerous 
beds for tender plants. These 
beds are vacant for seven or 
eight months in the year, and 
are unsightly. The annual ex¬ 
penditure of money for plant¬ 
ing them would, in the course 
of a few years, greatly exceed 
the sum required to have 
planted the whole place skill¬ 
fully and effectively in the 
beginning, and with material 
that would he permanent and 
ever increasing in beauty. 
We do not mean that tender 
bedding plants are unfit for 
out-door planting. On the 
contrary, they are justly popu¬ 
lar, and will no doubt always 
remain so; but in our climate 
their place in the garden 
should be of secondary import¬ 
ance. That much the larger 
number of country and sub¬ 
urban places are badly planned 
and planted must be apparent 
to every one of cultured taste. 
The cause of this is often due 
to false notions of economy. No 
one intrusts the building of a 
costly house to a journeyman 
carpenter; in all cases an architect of recognized ability is engaged to prepare the plans and superintend the 
construction. With regard to the grounds, this common-sense plan is not always employed; frequently the 
whole thing is given up to the tender mercies of some itinerant gardener, whose knowledge of tree and shrub 
life is confined to the narrowest limits, and who is totally unaware of the great resources of the 1 lardy I lerl laceous 
Perennials. The chief aim of this class of so-called landscape gardeners appears to be the making of unnecessary 
JAPAN’ UMBRELLA PINE (SCIADOPITYS VERTtCILLATA). 
