14 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENEP 
April, 1910 
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Lawn Decoration. 
A paper by Edwin Lonsdale, recently 
read before the Florists Club of Philadel- 
phia:— 
Lawn adornment opens up a very wide 
field, altogether too wide to be considered 
at all satisfactory in the brief space that 
masy bealloted to its consideration this 
eveniug: so the best that can be doue 
with so important a subject 
existing conditions is to give the samea 
“touch and go”’ treatment. 
The first thing that naturally 
suggests itself when considering the 
embellishments to a lawn is the produc- 
tien of an inviting and restful effect, and 
the very best material to make use of is 
shrubbery and shade trees judiciously 
under 
planted ; and what is of equal importance. 
a seat hore and there; let these be ax 
informal, or as rustic, yet as comfortable 
for the purpose intended as it is possible 
to have them. Let shrubs, both the 
desiduous flowering and the drnamental 
evergreens be’ disposed as nearly with 
natural effect as possible. Many of the 
atrong growing grases add a grace to any 
plantation thot nothing else can give. 
Do not dot plants on a lawn unless the 
planting is made to appear to have natir- 
ally escaped from-a nearby group. . I 
once saw alawn planted with auch regular- 
jty that in the distance the bushes had the 
appearance of cocks of hay. 
Let the shrubs occupy space on the axteme 
outsides of the lawn, avoiding straight 
lines in the planting in all cases, and 
allowing sufficient space between “each 
plant for future development. For a few 
years after planting, what may seem too 
much room may be occupied with such 
flowering annuals as may suggest them- 
selves to those who have the work in 
sharge, and. the more lasting hardy 
perennials could ‘to advantage be inter- 
spersed between 
Great care must be exercised in’ the 
association of the varicolored annuals 
and the perenial flowering plants to avoid 
. It is, by far, easior 
to avoid color clashes in the tender 
bedding plant combinations than it is 
with the hardy out-door tlowering plants, 
clashes in coloring. 
although too often we see the scarlet 
zoual pelargoniums and the magenta 
pink colored varieties of the same in too 
close proximity with each other to be 
harmonious. 
Vases judiciously placed—which means 
never in the centre of a plot or lawn— 
and where water is of easy access s0 as to 
givean abundance when requisite; which ia 
generally once a day and frequently twice 
are oftentimes very effective; especially 
is this the case on the edye of 2 pond 
or lake; but by all meaus refrain from 
planting purple petunias in the same vase 
with scarlet geraniums or any other colors 
with which they may produce discord. 
Many of my hearers will remember 
that strong paper read at a convention in 
the early history of the ‘society of 
American florists, held in Buifalo, N. Y., 
in which the esaayist advocated the 
omission of all flowering plants from 
lawne and pleasure grounds, and having 
nothing but grass, trees and shrubbery, 
and it also will be remembered what an 
uproar there was all over the country in 
vigorous protest. 
lady visitor at Girard College, on enter- 
ing the lodge gate stood and, in no 
unmistakable terms, declared : “ What a 
pity to cut up the lawn and plant there- 
on those horrid geraniums.’ And so it 
goes! It is impossible to please everyone ! 
The cactus bed which we haye in 
Girard. College grounds attracts more 
attention than all the croton, geranium, 
or miscellaneous beds combined. 
The president of Girard College, only 
a short time ago, said with much appar- 
ent gratification that the ‘front’ never 
looked better. While the too plentiful 
use of the scarlet 
pelargonium-—may not be cousidered 
uaed in the very best of taste as we have 
it this year, 1 believe its very brilliancy 
in coloring in the past has attracted the 
attention ot many persons,to the garden- 
geranium—zonal 
ing, and when once a person’s interest has 
become aroused in gardening the rest is 
easy. The end has justified the means. 
It has acted as a means to an end, and as 
a primer, as it were, or rather as a 
kindergarten to aid floriculture. - 
In a public, as well as any other garden 
Only last Summer, a. 
the geraniuin appeals to the popular fancy, 
and for that purpose I beleive it will hold 
its own for a very loug time to come. 
Persously 1 have no use for the pink 
varieties ; for the most part becanse they 
do not harmonize with the brighter reds 
At onetime I did not like 
the salmon tinted varieties of the geran- 
or acarlets. 
jum, but now J welcome them because 
they harmonize with the brighter rede or 
searlets. There is no color clash with 
these brighter colors, provided the blue 
combination is kept in dae subjection. 
it should be understood in this connec- 
tion that the landscape gardener has 
completed his work, though one sugges- 
tion I will venture to propose, and that is, 
when space admits, a triangular tree 
plantation be made, not too far away 
from the residence, and that these trees 
he the pin oak—Quercus palustris, 
Where those trees render a good account 
of themselves, or when some better tree 
for a given locality suggests itself, let 
them be planted at least 16ft. apart, in 
triangular form. Those of my hearers 
who contemplate such a planting will be 
surprised how amenable thoy will be to 
the proscribed landscape effects, and, 
what is of equal importance, after they 
have had a few yerrs’ growth they may 
be brought into requisition as hammock 
supports. Three trees properly. disposed 
will support, or rather furnish supports 
for, three hammocks, which will 
undoubtedly furnish another point in the 
restfnl effect so much desired in all lawn 
adornments. 
The planting of flower and feliage beds 
in lawn adornment is considered to be 
worthy of our best thoughts. Especially 
does this apply in public and semi-public 
gardens connected with our popular 
In the Girard College 
grounds, with which yours truly is 
connected, the idea is to make as much 
display with the plants we have on hand 
as possible, and we proceed as follows: In 
the spring time we plant plant pansies, for- 
get-me-nots, Alyssum saxatile and Arabis 
alpina between, and asscciated, with, 
tulips, hyacinths, etce., planted during 
the late October and early in the Novem- 
ber previous. 
institutions 
This combination for 
