The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-03-27
LANDSCAPE GARDENING.
Miss Parker Gives Advice on Planting
Trees, Flowers, etc.
From Wednesdays Daily.

| Inv AoiiO"iiS 10 a Pol IiOh VI <PdPSi
On Landscape Gardening" prepared by
Miss Achsa Parker, secretary of the
newly organized Civic Improvement
league, for recent meeting of the Fort
nightly club:
London, that city of fog and smoke,
as we think of it. is gay with window
boxes. How many window boxes have
we in Mankato?
A gentleman from the east recently
said to me that he never saw town
where there were so few flowers or at
tempts at gardening as in Mankato.
We don't even have many geranium
beds, those impertinences- in the midst
of a lawn. There is only one Boston
ivy that | know of in town. | will ven
ture to say that there isn't single
Crimson Rambler. that hardy climbing
rose which l saw everywhere last sum-
mer when [ got a. little farther east.
If any one has cannas, it is "a very small
number. Of course we can't many of us
order our roses by the hundreds like
Elizabeth of the German Garden, but
we could have a really generous allow
ance of some few flowers instead of mu-
scum specimens.
In the matter of shrubbery most west
ern towns are even more difficult than
in flowers. Judging from my own ex-
perience, a place like Lake Forest, with
its thick plantations, would be revela-
ton to multitudes. They would be sur
prised at the results often accomplished
with the most simple shrubs. The sumac
and elderberry bushes have been made
effective in many private grounds and
public parks. And evergreens, against
which most of us have an unreasonable
prejudice because of their generally in
judicious use, are very beautiful when
carefully selected and planted in masses,
and very useful as wind breaks and
screens. Set in rows or mixed with de-
ciduous trees, they are often forelorn and
pathetic
1t may seem that l have got off the
subject of landscape gardening when
speak of window boxes and door yards,
but in reality the same principles APP
ply, no matter whether the plot be small
or large. The first rule is always not
to encroach on the open spaces. As
Bacon said, Nothing is more pleasant
to the eye than green grass kept closely
shorn." Better have no flowers than
have the lawn cut up with beds. Next
pains must be taken to make open vistas
among the trees and shrubs, and to keep
the sky line from sinking to box-elder
dead level. How very useful the Lom-
hardy poplars are insaccentuating heights
and lending variety, and how wicked 1T
is to set them in row with nothing to
support them or cover up the insight
Illness of the lower branches.
Then the element of color must be
carefully considered. A flower bed In
the design of cheap rug, with nine
different colors carrying: on active war
fare, is much more offensive than =
clump of dock or MULLEN In fact some
enlightening spirits have gone so far
as to taboo all attempts ait carpet
gardening" Surely some of the awful
examples we have had in our parks are
enough to make us wish to discourage
this sort of thing. Some of us can still
recollect an Atlas holding up the earth
done in. foliage plants, and gorgeous
map of North and South America. Both
have now happily, gone the way OF
Pope's "porcupinen', saint George and
the Dragon" and fheegardnen who adver-
tised family groups ocut, in evergreen.
Instead of the inartistie and expen-
sive bedding plants'', we need more of
the hardy perennials,. They are much
more beautifully and when once estab-
lished they need no further expenditure
of time or money. A. olunp of iris will
live as long as an oak. PeOnies, big
ragged, picturesque fellows, will -four
ish from year to yean without demanding
so much. rs "a smila. Jonquils, daffodils,
tulips, and crocuses blossom obligingly
and unfailingly jusd when we are most
anxious for flowers. The fact that they
are. frequently stolen shows how hungry
people are for them.
Landscape gardening is not an art to
be- cultivated by millionaires alone, but
by the humblest citizen that owns a
door yard. A dollar spent on the grounds
win afford more pleasure and satisfac-
Et@p than many dollars spent in Queen
ANNE ornaments for the house. 1t wosld
tbe hard to find an art the exercise OF
| which by the rich would give more
lpleasuse. to the poor, or be the means Of
Eshowing more gracious hospitality t.
the stranger.