House & Garden 
flower garden pure and 
simple, easily reached 
from the porches of the 
house. Access to the 
garden is in fact well 
provided for, not only 
by the main path, the 
principal architectural 
axis, but by the path 
which skirts the wood¬ 
ed lawn in leading from 
the portico along the 
south side of the gar¬ 
den. As the growth of 
the flowers and shrubs 
continues and they be¬ 
come rich and full how 
attractively will their 
masses ol varying 
greens, their sunshine 
and shade, give them¬ 
selves furtively to one 
who may look through 
the openings of the 
vine-clad trellis ! 
From a IVater-color by Matilda Brown 
THE UPPER STEPS 
ASHFORD 
Where geometric 
shapes of flower beds 
are not employed and 
unconventional nature 
is not changed by 
formal lines everything 
depends upon the se¬ 
lection and handling of 
the few necessary ma¬ 
terials of construction. 
At “Ashford” there 
are no balustrades or 
statuary, no prodigality 
of cut stone. Large 
trees, left undisturbed, 
rise from the smaller 
vegetation, and the 
commonest of every¬ 
day materials are so 
used as to accord with 
the informal spirit. 
The buildings above 
are of wide clapboards 
painted white; and this 
kind of construction is 
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