Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-10
A SMALL YARD BEAUT1FIED.

chatted about his art "Gardens about
Pittsburg when was q boy, and till quite
lately, grew-they were not made" was a
bit OF his preface. "P1ttsburgers long ago
were willing to spend lots of money on their
houses, but it is only OF late years that many
| of them have cared to spend q 1.-THE of what
| single room costs to furnish upon the
grounds. But now that few men in every
| neighborhood are showing how much beauty
little artistic arrangement of lawn, flowers,
strawberries and trees will lend to home,
no matter how humble, the cultivation of
landscape gardening is advancing here by
gigantic strides.
''The influence ofthe parks newly opened
is also powerful to the same end, and if, as
believe they will be, Schenley and High
land Parks are laid out and completed
under the direction of artists, the effect
they are likely to have upon amateur gar
dening around our homes can hardly be
measured"
doesn't the small area of the yards to
be found about most Pittsburg houses. even
in the suburbs, put landscape gardening be-
yond the majority's reash?" was asked.
Extensive Yards Not Necessary.
MOT necessarily, although, of course, it
is easier to produce good effects with five
acres than a 20 by 50sfoot lot. That's a
common error. People think it's waste of
money to- embellish a yard, and often a
really artistic seul contents itself with
plat of turf in the idea that more ambitious
gardening would be ridiculously out OF pro-
portion. But small place can be improved
as much proportionately as larg. one by
the gardeners art. Look at that house, for
instance" ana as he spoke he pointed to
a small but exquisitely designed house of
= >lv
small lot, of which we were just abreast.
1t is the home of well-known architect
and undoubtedly gem.
The gardener has made the most of eyerv
inch of ground Under the corner of the
stone porch there is a clump of hydrangeas,
azaleas and rhododendrons, from which
the lawn slopes away to the street sidewalk
from which it is divided by privet hedge.
Another hedge marks the lateral boundary
of the lot Some of the azaleas were in
bloom and made a warm patch of color in
house and grounds were of this years
creating, SO that only the outline OF
the scheme by which the one had
been made to supplement and set off the
other could be seen.
The Beauty Of . Hedge.
The effect was excellent beyond a doubt,
and fully justified the horticulturist's
proud tone as he remarked: "That's what
can be done with 30 feet front anywhere!
Do you notice what an improvement that
hedge is? The use Of hedges, in preference
to inartistic fences, ID one Of the cardinal
points in my creed. At Newport, r. l.,
the hedges are not the least lovely
feature of its famous gardenA They
are chiefly of California privet,
cheapest hedge plants obtainable. A hedge
under any circumstances is more orna--
mental than wood fence, iron railings-
which are abominable-or even masonry,
though stone wall not too regular and un- |
broken in outline may be made tolerable."
At the mention of iron railings the mind
of the writer went back to little suburban |
villa nowhere near here, around the front |
yard of which the eminently respectable |
set up q heavy iron fence painted |
sky blue in which were set gilt lozenges
every few feet and gilded posts The gar
den within contained possibly 25 square
feet of lawn, circular flower bed as big as
bloom, and gravel pathway wide enough |
to accommodate one medium-sized person. |
The fence was the dearest object in that gar
den to the owner; he painted it every |
spring, and the light blue railings with |
gold knobs. the green grass, the gravel path |
and scarlet geraniums gave one shock
never to be forgotten.
Ths Renewable Plant Il Passe.
'The setting out of geraniums in beds; in
fact, the whole system Of bedding with re-
newable plants" remarked the architect
in flowers as this shocking reminis-
cence called up the subject, ''is destined
to be shelved altogether pretty soon, and
in the East has been abandoned by all the
gardeners. Permanent flowers,
hardy plants and shrubbery are taking the
place of old-time bedding Rhodeden-
irons, hydrangeas, azaleas and the like are
newcomers in Pittsburg gar.
dens, but they are making friends here as
quickly as they have already made them in |
the East. Then there is the begonia, un. i,
known a. q garden plant in the common ac-
septance of the term till now, which prom
ses to be as popular and cheap as tho
yeranium in few summers. OF course the
begonia a. . hot house plant 10 no new
hing, but the plant, ~ it may be seen to-
lay In Highland Park, Homewood Como.
'sry, the Allegheny parks and in few beds
we're md thsro n r1avato easdSns-Nra |