The Greeley tribune., 1905-08-24
THIRTEEN YEARS SPENT IN PERFECTING
PLANS OF LANDSCAPE GARDENER
The Home Of Rare Trees and Shrubs. Some Of
the Things That Go to Make Up Artistic
Landscape Gardening. Straight
Lines Always to Be Avoided

Thirteen years have been spent by
A. L. Evans, landscape gardener at
the State Normal school, in trans.
forming an alfalfa field into a
campus, said to be one of the most
beautiful In the United States. The
work might have been done In less
time than that, but probably not
with the same amount of help and
material to do with.
The Improvements in appearance
of the campus like those of the Nor
NAL school building are not so no.
ticeable from one year to another.
1t looks as though everything is the
same this year as the last, and still
the same that year as the preceding
season. But when this seems the
case then compare the present beauty
spot with any common alfalfa field,
and you have the net result of the
years OF work and planning. The
laying out of drives and walks, the
grouping of trees and shrubbery to
harmonize with each other and with
the grounds; to have the proper
artistic effect, and yet to have it so
that nature might have done it un-
aided. That in brief is the ground
plan of modern landscape gardening
avoid the compass and square In
laying out your landscape plans, p"
says Superintendent Parsons Of the
New York City parks. This theory
has been vigorously practiced on the
Normal campus. You can't avoid
putting two trees IN row, but
don't plant the third one in that
line. That is the unvarying rule of
both President Snyder and Mr..
Evans.
But there is one row of trees on
the campus, relic Of past ages, long
before there was a Normal school,
a DR.. Snyder, or a Mr.. Landscape
Gardner Evans in Greeley. This is
a row Of stately cottonwoods running
about through the middle Of the
campus from east to west. And
really, when one looks at this row,
he may be as ignorant of
artistic landscape gardening as a
he will see bit of dis
cord with the other surroundings.
1t is said that DR.. Snyder has his
eyes on these trees that once lined
the north boundary fence of the
campus, and that some day when it
comes good moving time, enough of
them Will have to shift their posi-
tion to bring them in tune with
their betters. But the moving of
trees occasionally brings unpleasant
results, SUCH for instance, as when
it was necessary to move the first
class tree, in order to lay out the
curved driveway in front of the
school. This act of .sacrilige"
nearly bred a riot among those par
ticular grads. But the tree grew
again, line looking elm, ana one OF
the best on the campus, and the in
cident was long ago forgotten and
forgiven.
The number and variety of trees
and shrubs to be found on the
campus is really remarkable, Flow
ers are more of IL minus quantity.
There is not the usual lavish dis
play of alleged artistic flower beds
found in small city parks, where
flags, screaming eagles,
gates ajar and other popular designs
are seen and admired. The beauty
here is of quieter nature, and, per-
haps, fully as artistic. True, there
are flowers, ard in plenty, but they
are so distributed as to assist In the
whole scheme rather than to be the
all important item.
The grouping about the president s
residence upon the campus has
been made with pleasing effect.
Among other things here in the