34 
House & Garden 
THE ROSE GARDEN [of TWO POPULAR ARTISTS 
Like Most Favtous Artists and Literary 
People , the Leyendecker Brothers Find 
a Goodly Share of Inspiration in the 
Surroundings of a Quiet Country Home 
M OST of us have a lively curiosity as to 
the surroundings in which artists and 
literary people live and move and have their 
being, and from which they derive their in¬ 
spiration. In probably a large majority of 
cases these surroundings are quiet country 
homes, set amidst gardens and trees, in the 
calmness of free air and open skies. That 
gardens should have so prominent a share in 
the products of brush and pen is an added 
proof, if any were needed, of their essentiality 
to humanity. 
It may sound like a movie hero popularity 
contest, but-—who is your favorite magazine 
cover artist? If we were to hazard a guess, 
we would think of just one name: Leyendecker. 
Whether “F. X.” or “J. C.” is quite imma¬ 
terial, for these two brothers hold jointly and 
singly a unique place in the illustrating world. 
The Leyendecker brothers’ home is at New 
Rochelle, New York. Below the house, and 
reached directly from the broad terrace, a semi- 
sunken rose garden fills the view. Bricks laid 
in herring-bone design form the paths, and 
there are borders of green turf about the 
bushes. Cedars, spruces and pines are the 
immediate surroundings of the garden, while 
taller growing oaks and other deciduous trees 
give solidarity to the background. 
From the terrace steps to the stone bench 
and wall at the opposite side, the garden is a 
delightful spot in which to idle away a fra¬ 
grant June dusk. Quite different is its atmos¬ 
phere then from what it is in the early morn¬ 
ing, when shadows still hover over it and the 
night’s dew clings to the delicate reds and 
pinks and whites of the blossoms’ petals. Yet 
whatever the hour or light, the garden’s influ¬ 
ence on its owners’ work can never be denied. 
There is none of the 
traditional attic bed- 
r o o m atmosphere 
about the studio 
where Francis X. 
Leyendecker does his 
work. Space, light 
and a pleasant gar¬ 
den without—t h e s e 
are his surroundings 
The rose garden lies 
below the terrace, 
from which access is 
had by a broken 
flight of steps. The 
approach is extremely 
simple, with all the 
charm which well 
chosen simplicity 
is bound to bring 
ex' a;> 
-tifcS -Jl/* 
The central feature is a 
fountain and pool, 
planted with water lilies 
and a few taller grow¬ 
ing aquatics. The rose 
plots are grouped 
around its circumference 
No garden can be com¬ 
plete without a proper 
background. Looking 
down from the terrace, 
the view terminates in 
a setting of cedars with 
deciduous trees behind 
