To Paint the Landscape O’er 
masses, leading some to regard its appearance as 
eccentric. Its young growths have pleasing color 
tints and altogether the tree is attractive as well as 
hardy. Likewise, also is seen the American white 
spruce, so admired as to be called “The glory of all 
spruces.” Its blue, older growths show warm golden 
hues in the spring, when its young growth is light 
green. 
But my tapestry of trees, with its varied shades of 
color, its figures, its threads of gold and silver hung 
as it were on the outer walls, is not yet fully suggested 
for there are still the yew trees to fill it in. One of the 
finest evergreens in its summer effect, when its deep, 
rich, golden foliage glows with life and beauty, is the 
golden yew. It is also a most patient and hardy 
tree when subjected to topiary or formal clipping. 
The silver shaded English yew is planted here as is 
also the Irish variety. Both English and Irish yews 
though beautiful in effect and color scheme are not 
easily grown unless sheltered from the north winds 
and protected from the direct rays of a March sun 
striking them when the foliage is full of frost. For 
this reason to raise them successfully, great care 
must be given when selecting a place for them and 
nothing, so far as their characteristics and habits 
are understood, left to chance. These various 
varieties of dwarf trees, that space does not allow 
to more fully describe, are at times thinned out and 
clipped, so as not to interfere with each other’s 
growth or become obtrusive. Beyond the pergola 
are two red swamp maples, separated by a common 
American ash by way of contrast. In April, the 
swamp maples are full of bright red tufts, enfolded 
flowers, that later develop into samara or winged 
seed fruit. This effect is most striking and beauti¬ 
ful. The young leaves soon appear and are of a 
delicate, semi-transparent green. These maples 
are also remarkable for their vivid red color in 
autumn, gowned like stately cardinals, and all maples 
of every variety are attractive in their summer green. 
But the ash tree is one of the glories of the American 
autumn, and grouped with these maples in their 
sensuous, autumnal symphony of red, the ash serves 
by contrast to make a chromatic harmony of different 
and lighter color tones. Its foliage is translucent, 
creating a soft mysterious atmosphere about it and 
at this time it has various shades and tints of yellow, 
greyish mauve and blue, blending into a decided 
but soft purple. Standing alone, this beautiful 
American ash might suggest to a composer of the 
romantic school of music, the motif for a sonata, 
a nocturn, a song, complete in itself. In these vary¬ 
ing hues, this variety of native ash differs greatly 
from its English brothers that assume what the 
celebrated arboriculturist, William Gilpin, described 
as a “muddy, displeasing shade.” 
Returning to the picture we see elm trees with 
their Gothic lines in the foreground that are stately 
and majestic in their summer as well as their winter 
aspect. Standing now on the right hand side of the 
terrace by the bay tree, Plate No. II. is before us, 
and if studied closely it reveals the art used in the 
arrangement and grouping of the trees with regard 
to foreground, middle distance and background 
effects and relations. The two trees Nos. I on 
either side of the entrance to the terrace are dwarf 
Japanese evergreens, Retinospora plumosa. They 
are of a light yellowish green, turning to a rich bronze 
in the autumn. In the winter the retinosporas are 
even more attractive than in the summer, and their 
winter dress differs considerably in shades and tints, 
when their blues darken and their yellow green grows 
yellower and mingles with their brown, bronze 
masses. The retinospora family of Japan is of 
ancient, aristocratic lineage, but so numerous that 
none other than a Japanese arboriculturist, with the 
patience of a Burke, could describe them and trace 
the family titles and lofty pedigree. The golden 
or yellow variety of retinospora takes on a pure 
yellow in winter and furnishes a pleasing contrast 
to the monotony of the neutral colored landscape at 
this time of the year. If these are planted with a 
green and a blue variety of the retinosporas or 
spruces, these will supply the half-tones and inter¬ 
mediate shades in the landscape and are very decora¬ 
tive with their delightful variety of yellow or golden 
and blue and brown. By the side of one of these reti¬ 
nosporas No. I is No. 2, a blue Jackmanii spruce, 
grouped to produce this half-toned effect, and it 
also has a charm and varied winter color. Not far 
off are two large specimens of dwarf boxwoods, 
No. 3, eighty years old. They have a dark green 
appearance, and in winter are of a darker, yellower 
green, different in shade from Nos. 1 and 2. 
On either side of the electric lamp, are two golden 
bronze trees, No. 4, Biota elegantissima aurea belong¬ 
ing to the arbor-vitae family. Here then, in the 
grouping of dwarf trees from Nos. 1 to 5 inclusive, 
which is another variety of retinospora, R. squarrosa 
Veitchn,we have a strong suggestion of figures in 
the scene. They appear very much like people 
would, dressed in stiff hooped brocades of mediaeval 
design, and as the winds stir them gently, one might 
not be surprised much if they were to change their 
attitudes and positions as guests at a lawn party 
and dance a stately measure or minuet. Thus, the 
picture here given has variety, life and romance 
depicted to enhance its charm as well as color 
and arrangement. In Nos. 7 and 11, Japanese 
maples, No. 10, Japanese retinospora, No. 12, 
Douglas spruce, No. 13, dwarf retinospora, No. 14, 
American larch, we are again happily reminded of 
living figures. The Douglas spruce, Pseudotsuga 
Douglasu, is an attractive tree, feathery in appear¬ 
ance; the long drooping branches and needles make 
it look like a bunch of graceful plumes. Its color is 
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