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Again in this sketch we have shown the advantage of obtaining elevation in the rear of the outdoor living 
room. This not only gives a better view of the garden whilesitting in the garden seat, but offers more inter- 
esting opportunities for the planting of flowers and Evergreens on the slope. Thislittle nook can be con- 
structed in one of the far corners of the outdoor living room, with a view towards the house, or some other 
feature, such as a pool, or beds of flowers. In a planting of this kind there is an opportunity for extensive 
use of Evergreens of the more dwarf types, such as the trees suggested on page 34 in groups “D,” “E” 
and “F.” Taller specimens, of course, must be used in the background. 
Outdoor Living Room 
A Practical Landscape Feature 
HE area at the rear of the house was for many years 
known only as the “back yard.” It has only been 
within the past few years that the opportunities which 
these areas around the home offer have been fully realized 
and taken advantage of. Even today, however, there are 
probably less than twenty per cent of the back yards of 
American homes which have been even partially developed. 
The outdoor living room should be practical as well as 
ornamental. There should be areas set aside for attractive 
flower beds, groups of trees and shrubs, areas for lawn 
games, perhaps an outdoor fireplace, lawn seats, chairs, 
swings, tables and, in fact, any features which will make 
this part of the grounds attractive and livable. 
Where it is possible to make it so, the outdoor living 
room should be in close proximity to the house. If it can 
be arranged so that a vista of the area can be seen from the 
house itself, this is, of course, a desirable arrangement. 
Privacy is another feature which must be given first con- 
sideration. Naturally, we prefer our outdoor living room to 
be shielded from adjoining property and from passersby. 
To begin with, the area available should be carefully 


measured and drawn to scale on ruled paper. Existing fea- 
tures, such as trees, walks and buildings can be located on 
the plan, and the other additional features to be added can 
then be planned and arranged properly. It is easier to 
change a plan on paper than to make any change after the 
planting is completed. 
Shade is greatly to be desired in the outdoor living room. 
and unless shade trees already exist they should be planted 
in such a position that they will provide shade over a cer- 
tain part of the area at least. 
There is no set style or arrangement which will be equally 
adaptable to all homes, but there are several essential fea- 
tures which can be incorporated into almost any design. 
In the several pages which we have devoted to the subject 
“The Outdoor Living Room,” we have shown several de- 
signs, some of which may perhaps prove helpful in the 
arrangement of your grounds. On homesites of limited size 
it is often desirable to include a rock garden and perhaps a 
pool in connection with the outdoor living room. This may 
be either formal in design, or it may be a naturalistic pool, 
in which case it should be arranged at some corner of the 
ground, rather than in the center of the lawn. 
Almost without exception, any outdoor living room 
which has attracted your attention has as its foundation 
an attractive, well-kept, green lawn. Do not hesitate to 
allow as much space as possible for the grass. Keep the 
center of the lawn open, with plantings and features around 
the edge. This arrangement will generally prove more at- 
tractive than a type of planting which cuts up the area 
into too many small sections. 
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Where gardens are very limited in size, itis often advisable to avoid 
too much in the way of garden features, but allow as much space 
as possible for open lawn. A low Evergreen hedge with an arch- 
way covered with climbing roses makes an attractive approach 
to this small area adorned only with a single garden seat. Flag- 
stone walks set in cement are more appropriate for landscape de- 
signs of this nature than cement. Walks made of cinders or gravel 
are less expensive and when edged properly are very appropriate. 
Although this area is limited, there is still opportunity for the use 
of Evergreens, and doubly so, because of the close proximity of 
adjoining property and buildings. 
Here is an outdoor living room in good usable and simple form. A 
shady tree with lawn-chairs and benches on an attractive green 
expanse of grass. The tall trees in the foreground are Silver 
Junipers. The darker trees in back are Upright Japanese Yew. 
Low growing Junipers in foreground are Andorra Juniper. 
