The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-04-15
GARDEN Nv, REAR PLOT
OUTDOOR LIVZVGROOW
Small Lots Haze Many Possibilities of Beauty and
zpdioidunlity in Their. Gardening Treatment
-Gayden May Be Maze a Charming Sc
cluded Oben-Air Extension of the House.
Largemess and Simplicity of Front Yards
Ogerd0ue on Park Age., Resulting I'M Baroness.

At first sight the yards Of suburban
decorative treatment. The front porch
is the ivea BILE portion out Of doors,
and the back yard is given up to the
necessities of housekeeping, the same as
the kitchen, This need not be, for
the back yard can become very prop
eerly room out of doors and place
for seclusion among tasteful surround
does not permit. 1t is true that the
rear Of most houses, architecturally, is
very poor and unattractive, but even
then there is everything to be said in
favor of the decoration of the back
yard, for this is the one opportunity
for living in seclusion in the open air:
with ffty-foot 'front.' and p1 i25 feet deep,
the front of the house being upon the
building line. The house is of good
size and Of. the colonial style, so fire.
quent in Minneapolis. It stands upon
an interesting street among houses of
a similar character. Back Of the house
is considerable area now only orna-
mented with clothes stick, but with
a good, well-prepared fiat lawn; The
race above the street.
In designing the surroundings of a
place like this, two considerations are
necessary. We have to retain the front
yard as part of the larger street de-
sign, but we. can give the back yard
all the individuality and seclusion we
please: AS an artery of the city, we
have to look at the street in a large
ornament, large as in the use of trees,
and simple as in the free use Of large,
unbroken grass spaces. As the street
appears to extend from the house
across to it's neighbor opposite, and
even to extend between the houses, it
is better to depend largely upon trees
and lawn for its adornment. When
shrubbelry is used it should be so close
leaving the front and sides Of the house
fairly free: This is a good general
principle, but may be overdone, as in
Park avenue, where the broad street,
with its extensive lawns, is very beau
tiful in a large. way, but so lacking in
the variety which may be added thru
bits set here and there, as to be in a
way cold and repulsive.,~
On the other hand, the back yard is
man s own domain to be treated &C:
cording to his pleasure without intrud.
ing upon the rights of others. Here is
the opportunity for individuality and
iprivacy. He wants first to screen it in
SO that it is his and then adorn it as
he wishes. AS a general principle, a
large open lawn should be kept in the
center and the edge decorated. Shrubs
and flower beds set in the middle of a
dawn are particularly bad, for at once
you are making two or three or more
lawns, instead of one, each diminutive
and ineffective and making two or three
schemes instead Of one held together
by the single lawn. Further, as a gen
eral thing, shrubbery by itself looks
weak and is better if close by or
against something stronger structurally
or to be part Of it in appearance, as a
building, fence, a walk, or a drive.
The sketch given is one solution of
the arrangement Of a small city lot The
front has only low evergreen shrub Git
might be anything else that is low each
side of the steps and the veranda is
screened by vines. Otherwise the front
is undecorated; were the fronts and
adjacent houses treated with shrubbery
more shrubbery could be used. On the
south side are bush and climbing roses
| ranged against the vacant spaces of the
house walls. Roses are best here be.
cause it is sunny and because, this being
a less freguented side of the house
| they will be noticed only when one
comes out to see them, for roses are
| interesting only in the period of thei,
bloom. -r."
The arrangement of the back ward is
only one out of many possible schemes
even for 50 small a place. First a fence
was put around extending from the back
corners of the house around the back
yard, and covered with climbers. This