THE LANDSCAPE GARDENING BOOK ■■ ="^^?-;'^''n:^^:'j^HR- •'^'^' -■■ •-• 'l/- ^■". y^^^^M^ ' ^'T~ ^^miimmiSiit^sfSBmmffm %^,.J^f:^M St"'" '1 -"M'^ -^ ^'"* fl ., -^ 'iii'i «'fi^ '"^'t'^rr^ ^ , -^ -' . -M ^^ :^-;i W W- 1 >jy GRACE TABOIC ; ^.^ >--^ 1 . O^ .0 > v^ '^. .\- ,0 s ■^^ ,..,;e,'*,;„^;^ ■'^^ c,"^'- >0 o^ -%J^ '^-.^^' O^"" •^. ^^ ' V%^^.o^ ' •X^ % ^>.^' .^^^' ^"-^^. v-^'" ■■'■■j A^ ..^' ^^ V*' ^S^^ ^*. 'bo' \ ' \.^' <.y>%. ,0 O, ,^ '^^. '. A\V '^ .j:^^'^ > „/ " ^-^ ^■'\~' ., ,. .-^ )■: ^ \, ->, a\^' ^ .-'•*'^-. ■■'^- ^\..>^->l\X << :f- ,^-% ^1^- ^/. v^ ^ 0' .5 •7'^ THE LANDSCAPE GARDENING BOOK THE LANDSCAPE GARDENING BOOK WHEREIN ARE SET DOWN THE SIMPLE LAWS OF BEAUTY AND UTILITY WHICH SHOULD GUIDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALL GROUNDS BY GRACE TABOR NEW YORK McBRIDE, WINSTON & COMPANY 1911 Copyright, igii, bt McBRIDE, WINSTON * CO. , (g,CI,A2S'J23iJ CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. Introduction i II. Utilizing Natural Features 6 III. The Style of a Garden 29 IV. Getting Into a Place 41 V. Vines as Harmonizers 52 VI. Vistas Good and Bad 62 VII. Boundaries 73 VIII. Entrances and Gateways 80 IX. Deciduous Trees 86 X. Evergreen Trees 98 XI. The Use of Shrubs 107 XII. The Place of Flowers 118 XIII. Winter and the Garden 135 XIV. The Vegetable Garden Beautiful 143 XV. Garden Structures 150 XVI. Garden Furniture and Accessories 157 XVII. Planting and General Care 164 Index 175 List of Illustrations A mountain home adapted from the Swiss chalet, in California Frontispiece FACING FAGE A svunmer home and its garden at Saratoga, N. Y 2 An old Salem garden 3 A house and enclosed garden at Cornish, N. H 4 A house on a wooded hillside, Englewood, N.J 5 The lily-pond, Arnold Arboretum, Boston, Mass 20 An English treatment of a rocky slope 21 An American treatment of a rocky slope 26 Stone steps in a Cornish, N. H., garden 27 Nature's shrubbery by a brookside 27 The Red Rose Inn of Stoke Pogis, near Philadelphia 30 An old-fashioned city garden 30 A lajwn spoiled by a flower bed 31 An old English garden showing the extreme of complicated bedding. . . 31 A house in the wildwood left to Nature 38 A house on the rocks left to Nature 38 Steps and fountain in the garden of the Villa Lante 39 Trees and columns in an old Italian garden 39 The formal entrance to an estate 50 50 The informal entrance to an estate An informal entrance path j 1 A formal entrance path ei The luxuriance of two years' growth 52 Vines from within a pergola ^3 A wall trellis supporting climbers 53 Four of the best house vines c8 An unpretentious cottage simply treated. Magnolia, Mass 59 Harmony of lines in a widening vista 62 Harmony of lines in a narrowing vista 62 FACING PAGE A screen for a service yard 63 An English wall boundary' with flowers 68 Marble against a wall of green 68 Flower garden secluded by an evergreen hedge 69 A spruce hedge properly trimmed 69 A wooden fence with arbor gateway 74 An architectural boundary on a small place 74 A lattice enclosure for the rose garden 75 Combinations of hedge and stone wall 78 A boundary at the top of a grade 79 A landscape boundary 79 A hedge boundary with lych gate entrance 80 An entrance flanked by poplars 81 A doorway in a garden wall 84 A board fence topped by a lattice 84 Fence and gate, Longfellow Home, Cambridge, Mass 85 Arched wooden gateway in an old stone wall 85 A "house" — and a "home" 86 Birch trees on a lawn and in the wild 87 An ItaUan effect with cedars 98 Evergreens along a drive 99 A planting of evergreens in the curve of a drive 99 The skyline of an evergreen group 100 Natural planting of young hemlocks 100 Old conifers sheltering a homestead loi Shrubbery' too dense along the base of a house 106 A shrubbery thicket in bloom 106 Cymes of the common elder 107 A solitary Deutzia 107 A shrubbery group of one species in many varieties no A flowering hedge no A massing of trees and shrubs creating a vista in Narcissus naturalized on a river bank 120 New England asters 120 An old-fashioned flower garden 121 Lupines in a border 128 FACING PAGE A grass walk and flower border 129 The beauty of bare branches 136 Three shrubs with attractive berries 137 Unpleasing winter protection 138 The Christmas rose 138 Winter's test of the garden 139 Crocuses in the snow 139 An inviting entrance to a vegetable garden 142 A garden of vegetables 143 Annuals bordering a vegetable garden path 144 The charm of order and straight edges 145 An old garden path with box borders 145 A sim-dial and rose arbor 150 A garden shelter mirrored in a pool 151 An arbored seat 151 The pergola of the Capuchin Monastery at Amalfi 154 The inspiration for the pergola 155 A pool among trees 158 A seat beneath a pine tree 158 A well furnished garden 159 A bird bath 159 Rude steps and urn in the wild garden 160 A herm among the roses 160 A pair of garden benches i6i An exedra in wood 161 A garden retreat with carved stone seat and table 162 A pleached alley 163 CHAPTER I Introduction GARDENS do not happen. A Garden is as much the expression of an idea as a poem, a symphony, an essay — a subway, an office-building or a gown! But ordi- narily we fail to recognize this until the actual work of evolving a garden lies before us. And even then the truth is not always revealed, as witness the uncertain efforts which are made — the aimless setting of things into the ground here and moving them afterwards to there — the lack of coordination everywhere evident around the greater number of places. It is as if the bricks and mortar and wood which, properly com- bined, will make a house, were assembled on the groiind and then arranged by the builder in some sort of way, without a plan or any specifications to guide him. Something would result, of course — but who could foresee the form of that something? Not even the builder himself could know what the finished appearance of the thing which he was constructing, might be. And certainly there would be very little chance of such a dwell- ing — if dwelling it proved to be — ^being either practical or beautiful. The analogy is extreme perhaps, yet who that has tried, or is trying, to develop his place, and has felt the sense of bewildered (i) 2 The Landscape Gardening Book helplessness which sometimes overwhelms his aspirations, will say that it is exaggerated? To succeed in only having trees and shrubs and flowers instead of a Garden — is it not a common experience? Yet a Garden is what we all want. The vague disappointment in an effect, the feeling of incompleteness, of falling short of what we hoped for and were seeking to attain, all of these are the indication of that desire for a definite something — a something so subtle that to express it in words often eludes us, though we may feel it ever so keenly. Observing that " when ages grow to civility and elegancy, man comes to build stately sooner than to garden finely; as if gardening were the greater perfection," Bacon went, as usual, straight to the heart of the matter. For gardening is the greater perfection. Distinguished by refined subtleties that may escape even a keen perception, it is probably more elusive than any other art; but it is by no means indefinite nor incapable of analysis on this account. That we fail to attempt such analysis usually comes from our failure to appreciate the necessity for it — from lack of a true conception of the art. But without such analysis, and the defi- nite understanding which it brings, it will rarely happen that even the most enthusiastic attempts succeed. Suggestions for such analysis are the aim of this volume — to help in Garden Making rather than in gardening. There is a vast difference; though it is not to be expected that one may do the former without learning the latter. Many books, how- ever, which deal with gardening in all its branches, are to be had for the asking. Therefore plant culture is only touched upon here. Indeed, so highly specialized a subject has properly no place here, demanding, as it does, volumes devoted to it alone. Introduction 3 The arrangement of the book seeks to offer means for the solu- tion of the garden maker's problems in the order in which they present themselves to him. Each of these is analyzed rather than solved, the solution being obviously something which must be individually decided upon, according to individual circumstances. The standards which are universally acknowledged by the greatest students of the subject, are carefully maintained, and explained and accounted for, so far as space and conditions will permit. Examples are given to suggest the manner of applying the knowledge which analysis furnishes. Lists of all kinds of trees, shrubs and flowers, designed to be of definite, practical value, are given. To this end they have been broken up into groups containing only a few of each, the arrangement of the groups being made with a view to their use as units. Thus the wants of the garden maker who has room for only a handful of plants, as well as the one who may do work on a forestry scale, are met. And the confusion which besets a layman upon reading over the names of fifty desirable perennials — all equally desirable, to judge from their description — in an attempt to choose something to plant in a ten-foot border, is thus, it is hoped, avoided. The lists follow each chapter and are complementary to the chapter, as far as it is possible to make them so. That they contain all the desirable plants in the special classes which they represent is of course not claimed for them. They could not, possibly, and keep within a rational limit. That they contain the most desirable plants in the successive classes, some will no doubt question; for many favorites are indeed omitted. But that they comprise a wise selection for the actual beginner can hardly be denied — and this is the important thing. To this 4 The Lands " pe Gardening Book standard they have been held, and by it they have been tested, and cut down, and simphfied, until they are what they are. Many native flowers — "wild flowers" still, some of them — are included, preference being given to these wherever conditions allow, and whenever an effect will be equally as good with them. The height of each plant, wherever height matters, the color of its flowers, the form of its inflorescence, and the time of bloom, are given, with comments based on each plant's native habit, on soil and other features. Suggestions as to the method of planting and the best means of securing the plants have also been made, and any special requirement or peculiarity of an individual has been mentioned. To the end that all of this matter might be fully presented, the lists have not been arranged in tabular form. Botanical names are given precedence over the vernacular, but the com- mon name follows closely and identifies the plant, if it need identification. The index includes both. The lists and the diagrams of plantings may be used literally, or they may be used as suggestions only. Combinations may be formed of several of them, for extensive plantings; or one group may be adapted to a large area by increasing the numbers of each kind of plant which it contains. Where this is done it is better to increase greatly the number of two or three kinds and let them dominate the group, rather than to increase the number of each kind equally. Those marked with an asterisk are the best to plant in greatest number, in each group. Many of a few kinds are always better than many kinds — and constant restraint is necessary in planting, else the lovely simplicity will be lost, and the beauty of line and mass destroyed completely. Go slowly ; practice rigid self-denial in the matter of varieties ; learn, by stem discipline, resignation to the unalterable fact that Introduction 5 everything will not go into one garden. When this is learned, then — and not till then — it is possible to go cheerfully ahead in the happy task of making the most out of what may be put there. And then the Garden Making will have grown to be a joy. CHAPTER II Utilizing Natural Features EVERY plant in the world that springs up naturally in any spot, has selected that particular spot because it finds there the conditions of light and air and moisture best adapted to its needs. In other words, you will find that every square foot of soil all over this round earth is covered by the vegetation that likes that particular kind of soil and location — and other things will not grow there without a struggle. Of course this is the statement of a perfectly obvious fact — yet it is not so very long ago that the owner of a charming coun- try home complained to me of the fruitlessness of aU his efforts to establish a smooth and conventional lawn at one side of his house "because water would settle there in spite of all that he could do. ' ' Subsequent investigation revealed a group of little springs under the fine old trees — Nature's marvelous provision for a multitude of wild, elusive things of exquisite beauty which defy domestication in the ordinary garden. He gave up trying to defeat Nature's purpose by filling in what he had always regarded as a miserable, low, wet, soggy area and, taking Nature's hint, he now has a lovely and unusual bit of garden where pitcher plants, orchids, trilHums, iris and ferns mingle genially with other less familiar bog-loving things. The whole is deftly inclosed and hidden from the outer world by (6) Natural Features 7 a grouping of marshmallow and tall, reedy grasses ; and not the least of the joys of this garden is its startling unexpectedness. All of which points a moral, does it not ? — a moral that leads to a certain very definite rule, which I would urge every maker of gardens, actual or expectant, to learn by heart and deeply to impress upon his inner mind. Here it is, briefly and simply: Plan and plant a garden always along the line of least resistance. WTiat with the rain when it ought to be dry and the drought when it ought to rain ; the slugs, and the blights of varying form but unvarying fatality ; the moths, and the bugs, and the beetles, and the borers, and all the other unpleasant things which lurk around, determined to evade the wariest and the wisest of those who plant either for pleasiire or profit, gardening is one of this life's most tantalizing uncertainties, the best way we can fix it. Therefore we owe it to ourselves and to the patch of ground we seek to beautify, to mitigate this itnhappy state of affairs as much as lies in our power — to make our heads save our hands and our backs, and incidentally our garden hopes— by teaching us to garden according to Nattire's laws instead of against them. So we come to the question which should always be the first consideration: what has Nature done with the land where you are going to build your garden? Before a stone or brick of a building is laid or even the style of the house is determined upon, this should receive attention; for on a property of any size at all it governs not only the kind of garden one is to have but also the location of the buildings and their "kind. " A wild garden ought not to be actually under one's windows, while a formal garden very appropriately may — and the set of conditions which calls for the former imperatively, will, quite as imperatively, preclude the possibility of the latter, or vice versa, thus affecting the position of both house and garden. Plan 8 The Landscape Gardening Book therefore, if possible, before any btiilding is done, both the house and the garden. Take every natural feature and peculiarity of the land, topographical or otherwise, into consideration. Is it rocky or is it stony? — there is a big difference. Is it wet or dry? Is it hilly or flat? What is the nature of its soil? What can be done with it most easily and simply? What is the line of least resistance? The very hopelessness of changing things where great boulders and shelves of solid rock thrust themselves up through the earth, prevents the possessors of such land, usually, from even trying. They are convinced from the beginning that nothing will grow there, so what is the use of attempting to make it ? That is, they are likely to be thus convinced, if they are unfamiliar with plants. There are a great many things that will grow there, however — not what is seen in common gardens to be sure, but is that not in their favor? Distinctly rock-loving plants must have the conditions which they like, and these cannot be supplied them everywhere. You are fortunate if your location affords them. Such species are spoken of sometimes as " alpines, ' ' but this is incorrect. True alpines are too difficult for the amateur to attempt to grow, as they are at home only above the line where trees and shrubs cease, high up in the mountains. Make your selection from the long list of rock -loving plants that do not need the high altitude — the simple, easily grown, hardy and charming things which almost any good nursery carries in stock. These, with suitable ferns and mosses, which you may find already growing among the rocks, will supply the needs of such a situ- ation perfectly. The arrangement of such a garden should of course conform to Nature's grouping; there should be no attempt at precision, Natural Features 9 either among the plants or in the walks or paths, and the look of extreme tidiness which spoils everything but the most formal plan, should he avoided like the plague. Keep out the weeds, but do not trouble about stray wildings that may take up their abode among your treasures. There is as much t)eauty in com- mon toad-flax as there is in many highly prized aristocrats of the flowery kingdom — and long feathery grasses are more in keeping with rock or wild gardening than closely cut, trim turf ; likewise edges should never be sharply defined nor trimmed. Stony land requires rather more consideration in the planting than in the planning, and is therefore to be considered more especially from the horticultural point of view. There is one thing to be remembered in dealing with it, however, and that is that any attempt at formal design will almost certainly result in failure, no matter how carefully it may be planned. The reason for this is that the stones are thicker in some places than in others, and the soil cannot conserve moisture equally and evenly. Consequently the plants will not grow at an even rate — which they simply must do in a formal design. Otherwise the lines and the proportions will soon be utterly lost. Of the bog garden on wet land I have already spoken. If there is so much water that it lies on the surface constantly, it is better to dig out enough earth at the lowest point to make a pool, even though it is a very small one. This will give the birds a bathing place, besides furnishing an opportunity to grow one or two real aquatics, as well as the other things which love dampness, though they do not actually live in water. If this pool can be located in the open where it will catch the stmlight, have it there by all means rather than in the shade. A shaded bit of water is sometimes gloomy and depressing, but water in the sunlight has just the opposite effect — it is all light lo The Landscape Gardening Book and cheer — and cheeriness is essential to the success of any sort of garden. Stock the pool with a few goldfish — or something more ordi- nary if these cannot be had — to keep the mosquito larvae down ; and you will have a garden infinitely more interesting than the conventional lawn would be, at much less than it would cost, both in labor and money, in such a situation. Uncleared land, full of rank underbrush and wild growths, is not common, because one of the first things that an up-to-date development company does is clear away every scrap of growing thing. Even the trees are not always spared. But now and then one does come across such a plot and it is a great piece of good fortune, if handled properly. Leave the wild growth along its boundaries and let it form the backing for whatever shrubs you may wish to plant, instead of mowing down and digging out every thing on the place. Many times there are shrubs which, left to grow, will develop into as fine specimens as anything you may buy — and the advantage of having them native is immense. Common elder is much used in shrubbery borders by the best landscape architects, also simiach, which grows so freely wild. Cornels and viburnums between them furnish more — and more pleasing — varieties for general landscape work than any other two species in the world, and both are to be found in almost any patch of woods or underbrush. The native ivy which some call Virginia creeper and others know as woodbine, clambers about luxuriantly very often, over all the rest. One should, of course, learn to distinguish this from the noxious poison i\'y, before venturing to handle or plant. To the casual observer they resemble each other very much, though as a matter of fact there is very little Ukeness between them. Natural Features ii The creeper has five leaflets to the leaf — with comparatively rare exceptions— while the poisonous plant has only three. Avoid, therefore, all tri-lobed climbers. The creeper is a charm- ing, graceful thing, and it may be trained over anything you wish by giving its twining tendrils something to clutch. Little Jack-in-the-pulpits spring up under foot in such a place, and often there are lovely ferns hidden away under the rest, if you look carefully for them. Keep the character of a spot like this tmchanged and bring in wild flowers rather than the usual garden favorites. And here, as on stony ground, make no attempt to carry out formality of design. Nothing is lovelier than architectural gardens, in their own distinct and proper place — ^but unsuitably placed they are an abomination. Even a very gentle slope affords a charming variation in a garden, while a hillside is a fascinating site for both house and garden. Yet not infrequently, with the former at least, elabo- rate grading is resorted to, to level the place up ; which is proof of our unhappy bondage to a conventionality that stifles all original ideas. Unless the slope is so steep as to be actually impassable, not a particle of grading is necessary. If the getting up and down is too much of an effort, a very little cutting and filling will break it into terraces, which not only make every part accessible but also give a succession of levels, along which walks may be carried from which to view the whole. Where this plan is adopted bear in mind that the entire gar- den, whether seen from above or below, is seen at once, unless screens of planting are introdviced. The design may be formal or not, according to outlying conditions, the style of the dwelling, the owner's taste, and the evenness of the slope. But land which descends sharply at one point and slopes off gradually at others is obviously not ready-made for an architectural design to be 12 The Landscape Gardening Book carried out upon it ; therefore the line of least resistance takes us to the informal, rambling, quaint, and unexpected upon such a site. On the other hand, an even, smooth slope seems to demand the classic treatment; but the house in this case must conform to classic standards as well, else the place is in danger of becoming a ludicrous anomaly. This does not necessarily mean a dwell- ing patterned after an ItaUan palace, however. The simple old white houses of New England are classics quite as truly as any Grecian temple — and in the midst of their prim, old, box-bor- dered little gardens, they present far saner and safer models for us generally, than those which many are too prone to follow. Where the environment of a place is that of the usual suburb, and the house is not distinctly unusual, some adherence to formal lines is better than utter disregard of them. Formal lines afford a transition from the work of Nature to the work of man which harmonizes the two; and they may be restricted to the most limited area without loss to the design. Attempts at broad, sweeping lines in the planning of a typical suburban place are a great mistake, under any but exceptional circum- stances. Park-like effects require acres where the suburban plot meas- ures square yards. Efforts to secure such effects within such limits only result in making a place seem smaller than it actually is. Boundaries and comers may be somewhat thickly and irregularly planted, but along the approaches to the house regularity shoiild rule, whether it be a turf edge, a row of flower- ing shrubs, or a border of perennials. Not many places, perhaps, have the features that have been here dwelt upon — features that are commonly held to be distinct disadvantages, and which sometimes lead to the rejection of land Natural Features 13 because they are present — yet natural variations in even small plots are not uncommon. No matter what these may be, be sure that they are never a disadvantage if you are willing to study them a little, and think and plan. They mean an individuality for the place, if they are carefully made its motif, which can never be achieved by the most cunningly contrived artificial means. Lists of Plants Rocky Land This list includes plants which may be used where natural ledges of rock project through the earth and the soil is thin; or where similar conditions have been artificially created. They are what are commonly termed "rock garden plants." Special pockets of soil may be prepared for special requirements, under the latter circumstances particularly; but where the natural condition exists it is seldom necessary to alter the soil. Plants are arranged in the order of their flowering. Those marked with an asterisk should be planted the more freely. IN FULL SUN I — Arabis alhida: rock cress; four inches high ; adaptable to any dry soil ; dense green carpet-like growth ; masses of small, white flowers ; fragrant ; may be raised from seed, sown and transplanted, or sown where it is to grow; blossoms in April and May. *2 — Papaver nudicaule: Iceland poppy; twelve inches high; light, loamy soil, fairly rich; foliage at the ground, the flowers raised on straight, leafless, wiry stems; colors clear yellow, orange, and also a white ; grown easily from seed, which must be sown where the plants are to stand, as pop- 14 The Landscape Gardening Book pies do not transplant successfully ; may not bloom until the second year unless sown very early; blossoms in May and, if cut freely, on to October. 3 — Helianthentum vulgare (or H. mutabile — this is a variety of vulgare and the name most commonly found in catalogties) : rock rose or sun rose; six inches high; will thrive in poor soil but should be planted in a protected place, with south- ern exposure; growth is nearly evergreen, forming thick mats; profusion of flowers, yeUow in vulgare, pink and pinkish white in mutabile; buy plants; blossoms in hot weather — usually June or July. 4 — Geranium sanguineum: cranesbill; eighteen inches high; ordinary soil; erect-growing, branched plant, foliage attrac- tive and loose ; single, large crimson flowers; may be raised from seed, sown outdoors; easy to naturalize; blossoms from June to August. ♦5 — Sedum Sieboldii: ?,tor\ecYO-p\ six to ten inches high; sandy soil, which must surely be dry in winter; branches growing up, then curving downward; the round leaves are bluish with a rosy tint at the margins ; flowers rose-colored ; may be raised from seed but it is better to buy plants; blossoms in August. 6 — Silene maritima, flora plena: seaside catchfly, double-flow- ered; trailing, and must be planted where its stems may hang over a ledge of rock; ordinary sandy loam; white flowers which weight the branches down; this does not produce seed, therefore it is necessary to buy the plants; blossoms in July and on. Natural Features 15 IN SHADE I — Camptosorus rhizophyllus: walking-leaf fern; fronds four to eight inches long, evergreen, growing in tufts and taking root at the tips when they touch the grotuid ; requires black soil made of leaf mold, and a place at the margin of rocks which are always shaded; buy clumps. 2 — Saxafraga Virginiensis: rockfoil; four to ten inches high; dry soil in a cool, shady place, where the intense heat and drought of summer cannot reach; foliage low and rosette- like; cymes of many small white flowers; buy plants; blossoms in April. 3 — Mitella diphylla: bishop's cap or mitrewort; six to eight inches high; soil of rich woods; delicate white flowers in slender racemes; buy plants; blossoms in May. *4 — Gentiana acaulis: stemless gentian; four inches high; likes a deep soil, quantities of moisture with thorough drainage and a cool location ; crushed granite, rich loam, and meadow soil in equal parts make up a compost for it ; clear dark blue flowers — the celebrated gentian of the Alps; plants are obtainable but they are likely not to live as they seem to resent transplanting ; may be raised from seed indoors and transplanted when very tiny; it requires patience as the seeds sometimes are a year in germinating, but when once established this is a very permanent thing, and a deUght; blossoms in May and June. *5 — Galax aphylla: coltsfoot or beetle- weed; six to twelve inches high; soil of humus and leaf mold, in a northern aspect, cool, moist and shady; leaves shining and leathery, heart-shaped, evergreen, coloring to beautiful bronzes and reds in winter; wands of delicate white flowers, lifted on i6 The Landscape Gardening Book leafless stems well above the plant; buy plants; blossoms in July. *6 — Campanula rotundifolia: true harebell or bluebell; twelve inches high; any fair soil in a rock crevice that is well drained; bright blue flowers; easily raised from seed, sown indoors in early spring and transplanted; blossoms in July and August. SHRUBS *i — Rhus aromatica: fragrant sumach; usually about three feet high but sometimes reaching eight feet ; any soil ; especially good for dry and rocky banks, in svm or shade; yellow flowers in clusters on short spikes; fruit coral-red; buy plants; blossoms in spring before the leaves appear. *2 — Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi: bearberry; prostrate, forming a mass two feet in thickness ; well drained light loam or sandy soil, on rocks and banks; evergreen; flowers small, white, in terminal clusters; red berries follow; buy plants; blos- soms in May. 3 — Comptonta asplenifolia (or C. peregrina): sweet fern; one to three feet high; sterile, dry soil, among rocks; foliage fern-like and fragrant ; buy plants ; brown catkins of incon- spicuous flowers in May and June. *4 — Daphne Cneorum: garland flower; trailing, forming a mass twelve inches in thickness; light and well drained soil, in partial shade or all sun ; leaves small, glossy and evergreen ; many clusters of small pink flowers, very fragrant; buy plants; blossoms in early May and at intervals through summer. 5 — Hypericum prolificum: St. John's wort; three feet high; sandy or rocky soil, all or partly shaded; stout and dense, Natural Features 17 leaves glossy and dark green; yellow flowers in profusion, in cymes; buy plants,' blossoms in July and on to Septem- ber. 6 — Juniperus Sabina, prostrata: prostrate juniper or cedar; eighteen inches to three feet high, prostrate branches; dry rocky or gravelly soil will do though a fairly moist sandy loam is preferred, in a sunny and open situation; usually the branches are long and trailing, and numerously branched ; evergreen foliage, bluish-green; buy plants. Stony Land Some of the plants listed here are useful in rock gardening also; but the distinction here made between stony land and rocky land is such that they fall naturally under this head. Stony land means earth which has been deposited under glacial action and is full of boulders and round stones. It is sometimes dry and sometimes quite moist; not infrequently springs abound; it is usually well drained however, owing to the pres- ence in it of so much loose matter. IN FULL SUN I — Dicksonia punctiloba: hay-scented or gossamer fern; one to two feet high ; dry soil or moist soil well drained ; delightful when massed in open places, the plants set eight inches apart; buy plants or clumps. 2 — Phlox subulata: creeping phlox, groimd or moss pink; four to six inches thick, creeping, tufted and forming dense mats ; dry and sandy banks, up to and around stones and boulders ; perfect ground cover, moss-like in effect; sheets of white and rosy red flowers — the white form, shaded to pink, is the best; buy plants; blossoms in May. 1 8 The Landscape Gardening Book *3- — Aqiiilegia chrysantha: golden-spurred columbine; three feet high; sandy, moist, well drained soil; many and large flowers, yellow tinted with deep red; may be raised from seed easily; blossoms in May or June and remains long in flower. 4 — Saponaria ocymoides: soap wort; six to nine inches high, traihng; easily established in any soil ; loose cymes of bright pink flowers ; seeds or plants ; blossoms in June. *5 — Asclepias tuberosa: swallow wort, pleurisy root or butterfly weed; eighteen inches to two feet high; any well drained soil; is a member of the milkweed family; bright orange flowers, in numerous umbels; plants or seed; blossoms in July and Augvist. *6 — Liatris pycnostachya: prairie or Kansas gayfeather; three to five feet high; any soil, even very poor; long dense spikes of purple-red flowers ; raise from seed, sown in the autumn early enough for plants to get a start before frost; blos- soms in August and September. IN SHADE *i — Anernone nemorosa: wood anemone; four inches high; rich, well drained, sandy loam; single white flowers tinged with purple; will not mind some sun; buy plants; blossoms in April and May. 2 — Sanguinea Canadensis: bloodroot; six inches high; light rich soil; solitary white, pink-tinged flowers, one to two inches across; will stand sunlight; buy plants; blossoms in April and May. 3 — Dodocatheon media: shooting star, American cowslip or American cyclamen; twelve to twenty-four inches high; open, moderately rich soil, not dry but well drained and Natural Features 19 cool; leaves clustered at the ground, flower stem erect; flowers rose and white, in loose umbels; leaves die down after flowering season is over; plant maiden-hair fern — Adiantum pedatum — or wild ginger — Asaruni Canadense — between and among the plants of Dodocatheon, to take the place of its short-lived foliage ; buy plants ; blossoms in May and June. 4 — Smilacena racemosa: false Solomon's seal; eighteen inches to three feet high; moist loamy soil; stems rise from the ground, are not branched, and the plant is flexible and pliant, making a graceful mass when planted in numbers; white flowers clustered in panicles along the stems with the leaves; blossoms in June and July. *5 — Sedum spectabile: showy sedum or stonecrop; eighteen to twenty-four inches high; said to prefer a rather heavy soil but this is not essential, though good drainage is; rose- purple flowers in broad, flat cymes; buy plants; blossoms in August and remains in bloom until October. *6 — Aster corymbosus: native wild aster; two feet high; dry rock soil; loose corymbs of characteristic small white flowers; may be raised from seed readily; blossoms from August on to frost. Shrubs for Uncleared Land This list gives the careless forms of native growth which will harmonize with the character of rough land, and with the natural growth allowed to remain as a backing for the planting. These may also be used in stony localities. I — Amelanchier Canadensis: common shadbush, Juneberry or service berry; tree-like, fifteen to thirty feet high; white flowers in loose clusters; fruits in June, sweet and edible; 20 The Landscape Gardening Book buy plants; blossoms very early in the spring, sometimes before the leaves appear — usually early April. *2 — Berberis vulgaris: common barberry; from four to eight feet high; many small, bell-like, bright yellow flowers, pendant along the branches; fruit abundant, bright red, ornamenting the bush during much of the winter ; blossoms in May and June. (This is not native but has escaped and is naturalized in the east.) *3 — Viburnum opulus: highbush cranberry ; twelve feet high ; tiny white flowers in cymes four inches in diameter; fruits scarlet, remaining all winter ; buy plants ; blossoms in May and June. 4 — Sambucus Canadensis: common elder; twelve feet high; flowers white, in large fiat cymes, very fragrant ; fruit is ornamental and useful; buy plants; blossoms in July. 5 — Rhus glabra: smooth sumac; ten to twelve feet high ; flowers greenish-pink, in characteristic terminal panicles ; foliage a gorgeous color in autumn ; buy plants ; blossoms in July. *6 — Clethra alni folia: sweet pepperbush; eight to ten feet high; likes a moist sandy soil; white flowers in erect, pyramidal spikes ; very fragrant ; buy plants ; blossoms in August and late summer. Bog Land Wet, marshy spots where water settles, or where springs are numerous, is the sort of land referred to here. The banks of lakes often present the same conditions. Peat bogs are rich in the decomposing mosses which flourish there; for this reason they are somewhat different from ordinary bog land, and plants which are native to them are especially mentioned as peat bog dwellers. Natural Featl es 21 IN FULL SUN I — Hellonias hullata: swamp or stud pink; leaves clustered at ground; flower stalk eighteen to twenty-four inches high; flowers in three-inch racemes, pink or purj^le ; grows in both sun and shade but always in wet bog earth when in the sun ; it may be used in drier situations in the shade ; buy plants ; blossoms in April and May. *2 — Iris pseudacorus: yellow iris; two feet high; any marsh soil ; foliage showy; flowers large, bright yellow; plants or roots, only; blossoms in May and June. 3 — Sarracenia purpurea: pitcher plant; flower stalk six to eighteen inches high; leaves erect, six to twelve inches long, deep purple; peat bog land; flowers large, purple; plants only ; blossoms in May and June. 4 — Osmunda regalis: royal fern; may be planted under two or three inches of still water, setting the plants so that the crowns are just above water; plant two to three feet apart where many are used; fronds two to six feet high; will bear partial shade. *5 — Lobelia cardinalis: cardinal flower; two to four feet high; wet places, along the borders of pond or brook, or in water two to three inches deep; scarlet flowers in large, showy, close, terminal spikes ; buy plants ; blossoms in July and on to September. *6 — Hibiscus Moscheutos: swamp rose mallow or marsh mallow; three to five feet high ; along streams or in marsh land any- where — even salt marsh ; large rose-pink flowers in profusion ; buy plants; blossoms in August and September. IN SHADE *i — Caliha palustris : marsh marigold ; ten to fifteen inches high ; may be planted at edge of stream, in bog, or in water two 22 The Landscape Gardening Book to four inches deep ; flowers bright golden-yellow, sometimes two inches across ; buy plants ; blossoms in spring and on to June. *2 — Cypripedium spectahile: showy lady's slipper (a native orchid); two feet high; flowers white and rose-purple; buy plants; blossoms in Jvme. 3 — Calopogon pulchellus: native orchid; twelve to eighteen inches high; at edge of bog; flowers pink-purple, at ends of leafless stems; buy plants; blossoms in June and July. 4 — Veratrum viride: Indian poke or native white hellebore; two to five feet ; moist or wet black peat soil ; flowers small, yellowish-green; foliage effect is its especial feature; buy plants ; blossoms in July. 5 — Haheneria ciliaris : yellow fringed orchid; eighteen to twenty- four inches high; spike of brilliant yellow flowers, borne at the top; buy plants; blossoms in August. *6 — Gentiana Andreivsn: closed or bottle gentian; eighteen to twenty-four inches high ; rich, deep, stony soil, along the banks of stream or pool; flowers bright blue, closed; buy plants; blossoms in August or September. Shrubs I — Pyrus arhutijoUa (or Sorbus arbutijolia): red chokeberry; four feet high and up; damp thickets and swamps; flowers white, tinged with red, in corymbs; red and ornamental fruits follow; buy plants; blossoms in April and May. *2 — Ledum latifolium: Labrador tea; two to three feet high; swampy places, sandy and peaty soil, sun or part shade; clusters of white flowers; evergreen — the leaves are said to have been used during the Revolutionary War for tea, hence the name ; buy plants ; blossoms in May and June. Natural Features 23 *3 — Rosa Carolina: wild rose; eight feet high, slender and up- right; swampy and moist ground; flowers single, pink, in clusters sometimes, two inches in diameter; buy plants; blossoms in June on to August. 4 — Ilex verticillata: black alder or winterberry; eight feet high or more ; wet places and swamps , though it grows elsewhere also ; flowers tiny and unimportant ; scarlet fruits remain on all winter; buy plants ; plant one staminate plant to a group, specifying that all the others shall be the pistillate or fruit- ing form ; set the former in the midst of the latter ; blossoms in June and July. 5 — Azalea viscosa: clammy azalea or white swamp honey- suckle ; four to eight feet high ; at home in sandy swamps ; flowers white, tinged with red, not large but abundant and very fragrant ; buy plants ; blossoms in June and July. *6 — Cephalanthus occidentalis: buttonbush; four to twelve feet high; sandy moist soil or marsh; foliage glossy; tiny white flowers in perfect balls; buy plants; blossoms in July and on. Aquatics Water plants for the pool or stream which is, perhaps, the heart of a bog. These are hardy and may remain out all the year around, if they are planted below the frost lirie — that is if their crowns are below it. Plantings of these may be made by pushing the roots into the mud, or by tying a stone to them and throwing them out into a pond or pool, if the depth is too great to allow of the other method. These always require full sun. I — Peltandra Virginica: water arum; plant twelve inches deep in the mud, under water one foot deep, near the margin of the pond ; leaves four to six inches long, raised twelve inches above the water suggest the leaves of a calla; flowers 24 The Landscape Gardening Book greenish and curious; buy plants; use from one to three plants for a clump ; blossoms in June. 2 — Nymphcsa odorata: common sweet water lily; floating; flowers white and very fragrant, open for three days, from sunrise tmtil noon; buy roots; plant in quantity, eighteen inches apart; plant from April to September, by pushing the root into the soft mud until it is covered; one foot of water over it is enough at first; when one or two floating leaves appear this may be gradually deepened in artificial pools; when planting in a pond or large body of water, tie roots to a stone as suggested; blossoms in June and on to September. *3 — Ltmnanihemum lacemosum: floating heart; maybe planted in still water five feet deep, though two feet is better; creeps or floats on water surface ; foliage mottled and attrac- tive ; yellowish- white flowers are abundant, small and dainty ; plant in colonies ; buy plants or roots ; blossoms in July and August. 4 — Brasenia peltata: water shield; plant in from two to six feet of water ; floating ; greenish and purplish leaves two to three inches across — useful for variety in foliage efifect; flowers inconspicuous, dull purjDle, at surface of the water ; blossoms in June and August. 5 — Pondeteria cordata: pickerel weed; rises eight to twelve inches above the water surface; grows in still or slightly moving water about one foot deep; flowers blue, small, in dense, short spikes; buy plants and plant in colonies; blossoms in July and September. *6 — NymphcBa pygmcsa {AL tetragona) : dwarf water lily ; floating ; leaves dark green with brown blotches ; flowers white, one to one and one-half inches across, freely produced, open for Natural Features 25 three or four days, from noon until sunset ; buy roots ; plant as directed for NymphcBa odorata, using many roots for a colony, as this does not spread at the root ; blossoms in July, August and September. Submerged aquatics (these should always be used to aerate the water in still ponds): I — Anacharis Canadensis, gigantea: giant water weed, water thyme, or ditch moss; rank grower but may be pulled out and used as a fertilizer if it crowds too much ; useful also in aquariums. 2 — Cahomba viridifolia: Washington grass; fan-shaped, glossy green leaves; plant by tying a clump together and weight- ing ; this is not certainly hardy in the north, except in well protected ponds; it may be kept from season to season however by bringing a clump into the aquarium in autumn. The Average Place The garden flowers and the shrubs which adapt themselves to all ordinary situations. IN FULL SUN I — Dianthus barbatus: sweet William; eighteen to twenty -four inches high; flower heads in mixed colors, from white to pink and deep red, or it maybe had in pure colors; seeds or plants ; use in masses ; blossoms in May and June. *2 — Iris Florentina: "orris root" iris; two feet high; flowers white; large, fragrant and lasting; buy plants or clumps; use singly or in groups ; blossoms in May and June. *3 — Delphinium, "gold medal hybrids"; hardy larkspur; four to seven or eight feet high ; blue flowers in spikes sometimes two feet long; buy plants; group; set out in October or as 26 The Landscape Gardening Book soon as warm enough in spring; stake when they reach a height of three feet ; blossom in June, but, by cutting down after each crop has faded, they may be carried on through September. 4 — Hes peris matronalis, alba: dame's rocket or damask violet; white ; two feet to thirty inches high ; white flowers, clustered in pyramidal spikes ; very fragrant at night ; plants or seeds ; group; blossoms as early as June sometimes, and on into August. *5 — Anemone Japonica, " Queen Charlotte"; Japanese wind- flower ; two to three feet high ; flowers large and semidouble, silvery pink ; buy plants ; masses of from twenty up ; blos- soms early in August and on until frost. 6 — Chrysanthemum — hardy pompon varieties; two to three feet high; flowers small, double, button-like, in white and all shades of yellow and red to bronze ; plants about three feet in diameter; may be massed or planted singly; buy plants; blossoms early in August and on until after hard frost. IN SHADE 1 — Actcea alba: white baneberry; eighteen to twenty-four inches high; likes a rich soil; white flowers in clusters; buy plants; groups of six or more ; blossoms as early as April sometimes. *2 — Cornus Canadensis : bunchberry; six to ten inches high; greenish-white flower followed by scarlet berries in a close bunch; buy plants; group in masses of twelve or more; blossoms in May. *3 — Hemerocallis Thunbergii: lemon day lily; twenty-four to thirty inches high; likes a moist soil but will do as well almost anywhere else ; bears sun perfectly but may be more Tile abrupt transition from one level to another may be made the occasion for structural work that in itself adds much beauty Elderberry growing wild; a choice and lovely shrub that responds delightedly to the attention which it merits Natural Features 27 luxuriant in partial shade; bulbs or tubers; lemon-yellow flowers; blossoms in July and on. *4 — Digitalis purpurea, gloxincsflora: foxglove; four to six feet high; flowers in long, erect spires, white and shades of pur- ple, rose and lilac ; plants or seed ; groups of six or more, or irregularly through a border; blossoms in late June and on. 5 — Cimicifuga racemosa: bugbane; four to six feet high; white flowers in rigid, erect racemes, unpleasant smelling; buy plants; group; blossoms in July and August. *6 — Heuchera sanguinea: alum root or coral bells; twelve to eighteen inches high; ordinary soil, sun or shade; robust and bushy; bright red flowers in loose spikes; buy plants; plant in groups of four or more ; blossoms in July and August. shrubs; in full sun I — Forsythia suspensa, Fortunei: golden bells; eight feet high, branches spreading, pendulous tips; flowers yellow and bell-like, the entire length of the branches, before the leaves; buy plants; blossoms in April or earlier. *2 — Eleagnus longipes: silver thorn; six feet high; yellowish- white, fragrant flowers, wreathed along the branches ; fruits bright scarlet, olive-like, edible; buy plants; blossoms in May. *3 — Rosa rugosa: Japanese rose; six feet high; large pink single flowers; very showy red fruits; buy plants; blossoms in June and at intervals all summer. 4 — Btiddleia variabilis, Veitchii: Buddlea; eight feet high; reddish- violet flowers in long, upright, pyramidal clusters; foliage suffused with a rosy white, leaves long and slender; buy plants ; blossoms in July. 28 The Landscape Gardening Book *5 — Hibiscus Syriacus," Joan oi Arc": rose of Sharon; twelve feet high; very double pure white flowers; buy plants; blossoms in July and on to September. 6 — Caryopteris mastacanthus : blue spirea; five feet high; blue flowers in loose clusters, along the upright branches with the leaves ; buy plants ; needs some protection winters and may kill to the ground like a perennial, but new shoots will come up in time to blossom; blossoms in late August and on through November. shrubs; in shade I — Deutzia, " Pride of Rochester": Deutzia; eight feet high; double white flowers tinged with pink, in loose clusters; buy plants; blossoms in May. *2 — Diervilla, " Eva Rathka " Weigela; six to eight feet high; spreading and arching branches; red flowers, abundant, the length of the branches; buy plants; blossoms in May and sometimes through the summer. 3 — Cornus stolonifera: red osier dogwood ; eight feet high ; likes wet or damp places; small white flowers in dense cymes; branches blood-red and striking in winter; buy plants; blossoms in June. 4 — Ligtistrurn Ibota: Japanese privet; ten feet high; spreading branches ; small panicles of white flowers along the branches ; buy plants ; blossoms in June and July. *5 — Symphoricarpos vulgaris: Indian cuiTant; six feet high; all kinds of soil; flowers inconspicuous, fiiiit dark red, the berries of irregular size; buy plants; blossoms in July. *6 — Ceanothus Americamis: New Jersey tea; three feet high; wliite flowers in a profusion of small upright panicles; buy plants; blossoms in July and sometimes on. CHAPTER III The Style of a Garden ALL the lovely gardens of the world are ours to draw sugges- tions from. Let us do just that, and stop there, scorning ever to copy. When all is said and done, let us have, here in America, American gardens — not imitation Italian, or English, or Dutch gardens, or any other sort. Italy, in the splendor of its gleaming, time-stained marbles and solemn cypress trees, is Italy adorned as its life, its climate, its social peculiarities and its evolution through twice a thousand years have adorned it. England, with her castles and ancient abbeys, and their moats and fish-ponds — relics of feudal days and cloistered monasteries — her clipped yews and velvet turf, is England after centuries of wars, of invasions, of murders and pilferings, and all the shifting conditions of life which these things bring. Is it not time we younger folks over here recognize this, and give up the ridiculous task of attempting to build Elizabethan and Italian gardens? Good taste and common sense would both seem to indicate that it is. There are three factors which have directed the evolution of these old-world gardens quite as definitely as they have directed the evolution of the races which built them. And these three factors are at work here among us now and they will always be at work among men, and will always so direct. Climate is one, (29) 30 The Landscape Gardening Book though possibly the least imiDortant; the life of the people — their occupations, temperament, tastes and amusements — is another; their economic condition is the third. Of these three the first is predetermined beyond man's inter- ference; the second is variable; the third is practically fixed, as far as a home site is concerned.' If an owner's position changes economically he moves into the place which that change fits him for, whether it is up or down in the scale; and the new tenant of the house he has left acquires it because his position, economically, approximates the original position of its former owner. In other words, a place worth $10,000, costing $500 a year to maintain, will always be in the hands of owners of the same average income, though it may change hands frequently. There- fore we may say that its economic position is practically a fixed one. Plainly then, whatever the amount to be invested in a garden may be, it is a matter for consideration most carefully vmder the second factor. This is the factor which stands for the changing, shifting, human equation; herein the degree of cultivation, the temperament and the taste of the builder will reveal themselves, in the production, through living mediums, of something that is good or bad, beautiful or ugly, truly artistic or falsely artificial. The two great schools of landscape architecture are familiar enough; we have all shared, to a greater or less degree, in the bitter warfare that has raged between them since the long-ago days of Queen Anne — for it was in her reign that the reaction against "formalism," which grew into an hysterical obsession, first set in. It is doubtful if more belligerent partisans have ever represented opposing factions than those who have ranged themselves respectively on the side of "formal" and " informal" A broad sweep of country and a rambling house demand a free treatment, yet even here the hedge-enclosed flower-garden is thoroughly appropriate The restrictions of small city yards arc charmingly compensated by turning them into such definitely designed gardens as this There are places for some flower beds but not for such as iht never, for any, in the midst of a lawn Small wonder that these suggest the pastry cook; little tin cookie- cutters have just such whorls and flutings Style 31 natural — style in garden design. The contempt with which the latter have always regarded the former is only equaled by the disdain which the former have ever entertained for the latter. But it looks very much as if the long controversy were draw- ing to a close. Not that it is fought out — oh, dear no! — but in spite of the resolute defense each faction has made of its chosen position, and the tenacity with which it has clung to it, force of circumstances is bringing them both on to a common ground — a middle groimd that is neither strictly formal nor painstakingly and laboriously natural, but rather a happy compromise. This is precisely as it should be. No amnesty, voluntarily but grudgingly declared, could be as binding as this which a constantly growing appreciation of the beautiful in art and Nature is forcing. And the equilibrium which is thus becoming established f tarnishes the most favorable condition for the develop- ment of a national taste and skill in gardening, which shall be indicative of and harmonious with national life and character. The most ardent adherents of the landscape or natural school can hardly claim for it suitability to small areas, yet the small area is the typical American home site ; while, on the other hand, the loyal advocates of that exquisite perfection of line and bal- anced detail which are the formal garden 's structural necessity, must admit that these features demand an outlay in the build- ing, and a skilled care in the maintenance, far beyond the capacity of anything less than a truly plethoric purse. But both sides must agree that all buildings, of whatsoever form they may be, are artificial — hence, following strictly the logic of the "natural" school, are abominations, out of harmony with Nature. What is to be done about this ? The apostle of Nature untamed and free, has tried to answer by planting ovit base lines of buildings and the angles of masonry 32 The Landscape Gardening Book or wood, with vines and low shrubs — ttit discerning eyes see that something still is wrong, though their possessors may not know what. A house rising from an irregular planting of trees and shrubbery is far better, to be sure, than a house rising bare from the ground on which it stands — yet this is not enough. There is but one reasonable and logical reconciliation between Nature and the artificial. They cannot be brought into har- monious relations except by carrying out architectural lines beyond the limits of stone or wood, in the more plastic materials which Nature supplies, direct out of the garden — namely the trees and shrubs. By this means, and this means only, there is the gradual transition from Nature wild to Nature tamed, and from Nature tamed and brought into a seemly order which approaches graciously yet unmistakably towards geometrical precision, to the actual and beautiful precision of the artificial structure man has contrived, by the aid of his compass and square. And now it looks very much as if we had reached the position of formal and informal, instead of a choice between the two— which is exactly the answer to this troublesome question that a study of the wonderful old gardens yields. So it develops that we have just gone around in a circle and are no farther now than when we started! Does it? No— for here is the pith of the argument; here is what I have been talking all this time to get ready to say. The formality of America is individual and distinctly American, It is not to be expressed in alien modes, whether of building, gardening, salutation, or what not. Upon occasion we are quite as punctilious as may be, but we are punctilious in our way, and not according to a foreign fashion. Therefore we are bound to produce very different results, Style 33 even within the restrictions of conventional lines, from those accomplished by other races — if we go quietly along and permit ourselves to develop. Let us not refuse to be guided by the fundamental laws which govern proportion and design; but, within these laws, let us create something beautiful ourselves. The first of these fundamental laws or principles assures us that a formal, architectural, or conventional garden must con- tinue along one of the principal axes of the house. If it cannot do this no attempt shotild be made to have such a garden. And any formal design, of even the most limited extent, must be car- ried out on the axis of some feature of the house, such as an entrance, a porch, a large window, or some important detail. This latter rule unerringly picks out the prominent architec- tural lines which may be carried on beyond the wood or stone of the building, although the building itself is absolutely irreg- ular; and it supplies the necessary motif for planting even the tiniest dooryard — which, by the way, ought always to be planted upon such a motif. The smaller the garden area the more strict should be the adherence to conventional lines, though they need not approach the limits of a 50 x 100 foot suburban plot, by any means. Rarely, indeed, does the average suburban house lend itself to any very extensive formal scheme, for it itself is seldom laid out upon the regular lines of more pretentious dwellings. Some detail must therefore be chosen to work from — and usually this will be the entrance, it being naturally the most prominent. With this well worked up and well blended into the general scheme, conventionality may stop right here, and broader lines may be followed in the rest of the work. Planning, however, is not all that there is to a formal garden. The lines laid down must be carried out with material suited to 34 Thk Landscape Gardening Book them, for unless this is done the whole will inevitably fail. Plants are as different in their manners as people, and quite as likely to look and seem queer, when put in the wrong places. Stiff and prim little trees and shrvibs are to be had in plenty — but they must be of a shape conforming to the position which they are to occupy; and though a tangle of flowers may fill a given space ip the formalest of gardens, the space itself must be set aside in a distinct and precise manjier. Evergreens furnish such a variety of shapes, from Gothic to globular, that they are naturally much used in architectural planting. Formal design becomes, therefore, especially desira- ble in places where winter eflfect is sought, as an aid to this effect as well as a means of transition from Nature to man. Let there be wildwood, and daisy-studded meadows, and grand old trees, and parklike sweeps of lawn by all means, wherever there is space. But do not outrage these by setting in their midst an artificial excrescence in which to dwell, without softening the affront as much as lies within your power, by all the means at your command. Even if there were no beauty in formality this need for it would be argument enough in its favor. But it is beautiful; in and by itself, it possesses a serene and stately beauty absolutely lonrivalcd. It is only the extravagant abuse of it that is un- desirable — but is extravagance ever anything else, whatever form it takes? And is intemperance ever anything but vulgar? Lists of Plants Plants for formal gardening are divided into two classes : the untrimmed and untrained natural forms, and the trimmed and trained artificial forms. In the first class there are columns, Style 35 pyramids, globes and standards; and therefore this class contains, as a matter of fact, all the material required in formal planting. These possess great advantages over the jjlants of the second class, inasmuch as their care is practically nothing at all. Clipped forms must be constantly watched and kept in shape by ever repeated shearings, at the proper season — and it requires no mean sculptural skill to maintain them in perfect symmetry. Evergreens furnish a large proportion of the material for for- mal gardening, though deciduous specimens are by no means lacking. Formal hedges must of course be sheared, whichever may be used, for nothing but shearing will develop the density of the growth, or keep it perfectly equal and true to the trim lines laid down. Evergreens should be sheared just before the season's growth starts — in March or April— while they are being developed ; that is, while they are being allowed to grow. After they have attained the desired size, they should be sheared annually, in June. Deciduous plants may be sheared in spring, just after the growth starts, and twice during the summer, as may be necessary to keep them in shape. Winter clipping induces strong growth of shoots usually and where this strong rank growth is desirable, winter pruning maybe done. It will encourage density of growth also and is useful therefore when the plants are not as large as desired, or as bushy. Hedge Plants evergreen I — Tsuga Canadensis: common hemlock; makes an impene- trable, dense green wall of any desired height up to fifteen feet; prefers a rather moist soil, well drained; the most beautiful of all evergreens for a hedge; stands pruning 36 The Landscape Gardening Book perfectly; plant two to three- foot plants eighteen inches apart ; take off the tips of the leaders and of all branches in March or April, trntil large enough to shear; when this size is reached, trim as directed, in late May or June. 2 — Thuya occidentalis: American arborvitae; grows naturally in moist places but does well when planted in any ordinary soil ; plant and trim the same as hemlock ; will require very little clipping on the sides at first, as the width is not great for the height. DECIDUOUS I — Ligustrum Amurense: Amoor privet; grows to fifteen feet high; any soil and will not mind shade; set three-foot plants nine inches apart, in a trench twenty-four inches deep ; this plants them six inches deeper in the ground than they were ; trim the tops c\'cnly at a height of twelve inches after the hedge is planted, and trim away the tips of all side shoots; keep low until a dense base growth is well established. 2 — Fagus sylvatica: European beech; to any desired height; loamy soil; the bronze-gold leaves persist all winter; they are large and the character of the hedge is less solid in appearance than privet, though it makes an impenetrable screen, winter and summer; set two or three-foot plants twenty-four inches apart; pnme before growth starts each spring and trim off straggling shoots at any time afterwards ; especially desirable for high and large hedges. (All hedges, whether evergreen or deciduous, should be trimmed narrower at the top than at the base. The ideal form is a straight-sided or a slightly convex-sided wedge- in the Style 37 former the top is flattened to a width equal to half the base, in the latter it is not flattened at all but is an actual wedge form.) Edging for Beds axd Walks I — Buxus sempervirens, suffruticosa: dwarf boxwood; four to six inches high; set four-inch plants four inches apart; protect lightly with litter from hot sun during the first two or three winters after planting. 2 — Ligustrum ovalijolium: California privet; any soil and will do perfectly well in shade; may be kept trimmed to four inches in height — when this is done the leaves become small and the general appearance very like boxwood; Amoor privet may be treated in the same way. Columnar — Natural Forms evergreen I — Juniperus Virginiana: red cedar; may attain forty or fifty feet in time; any soil — poor and stony, or low and damp ground, or even immediately on the seashore; nearest approach to the classical cypress form, but may not retain this in extreme old age, as it has a tendency to lose its lower branches and spread into p»icturesque irregularity at the top. 2 — Thuya occidentalis , pyramidalis : pyramidal arborvitae; finally reaches thirty feet in height ; prefers a moist, loamy soil ; very slender and spire like. 3 — Juniperus communis, Suecica: Swedish juniper; attains to forty feet in height ; any soil ; narrow and slender ; light bluish-green in color, DECIDUOUS 1 — Populus nigra, Italica (P. nigra, fastigiata) : Lombardy 38 The Landscape Gardening Book poplar; sixty feet high; any soil; rapid growing; effective when used after the manner of the old world cypress. Columnar—Trained Artificial Forms evergreen I — Buxus sempervirens : boxwood; three to five feet high; grows slowly and therefore does not require much shearing. 2 — Tsuga Canadensis: hemlock; may be kept at any height; shear in the same manner as when used for a hedge. DECIDUOUS I — Ligustrum: privet; from three to seven feet high; retains its leaves during winter, so is actually half evergreen; shear the same as when used for a hedge. Pyramidal — Natural Forms evergreen I — Thuya occidentalts, Sibirica: Siberian arborvitas; to thirty feet high, of slow growi:h ; loamy soil ; broad at base and tapering ; dense ; brighter green than other arborvitas. 2 — Retinospora pisijera, plumosa {ChamcBcyparis pisijera, plu- mosa) : Japanese or Sawara cypress ; three to eight feet high and same width at base ; moist but well drained sandy loam, partly shaded, and sheltered from drying winds. 3 — Retinospora pisijera, squarrosa (C. pisijera, squarrosa) : blue Japanese cypress; same as above; foliage silvery-blue, dense, feathery. There are no deciduous natural pyramidal forms. Pyramidal trained artificial forms, both evergreen and deciduous, may be had in the same varieties as the Columnar fonns. A house in the wildwood nestling among trees is one of the few