Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-14
GARDEN EFFECTS.
Methods Of Treatment for Lawns
About Houses.

Landscape gardening-Or, as it is some
times called, landscape architecture-is a
decorative art that so selects and arranges
buildings, roads, paths, lawns trees and
shrubs as to render beautiful the area
needed around houses and in cities and
towns. In this reference the term tree
means woody plant with a single trunk,
and the term shrub means a woody plant
with many trunks. The Roman and sub
sequenty the Italian villa was supple
mented by a garden into which the archi-
tectural and sculptural elements Of the
villa were freely extended. Terraces with
stone foundations and balustrades lead
down broad stairways to flower gardens
disposed in geometric pattern and fire.
quently accompanied by fountains with
stone curb and ornate centerpieces. Casino,
grotto pergola arch. vase and even stat
ues increased this formal character; and
in consistency Herewith, the trees, shrubs
and hedges were clipped or pruned and
sometimes trimmed into geometric shapes
thus making the So-called topiary work.
This formal or architectural style was
followed along with other elements of Ital-
Ian culture by the French, until in the sew
enteenth century Lenotre gave it broader
treatment more suited to level country
and peaceful conditions. This formal style
also prevailed in England until in the same
century a naturalistic style arose which has
ever since formed a counterpart and rival
to the formal style 1t discards the statue
reduces architecture to indispensable bridge
and shelter, conceals roads and paths, dis
places the terrace by the lawn, and the
exotic pattern bedding or the flower garden
by the flower border.
The herbaceous perennials proper to this
style are not eclipsed in beauty or fra
GRANGE by their exotic rivals; and with
shrubs and trees they are freed from the
shears to attain their full growth Shrubs
and cinders bind house to earth and furnish
boundaries to the grounds, while flowers
range in front Of them or are relegated to
a separate section. This naturalistic style
has SDread f6rOughpnf hprn E'nropa nd
the United States.
The city home grounds must choose one
of these styles to the exclusion Of the
others. and at present the natural style
generally prevails; but the city or private
park, and even the ample country home
grounds, can combine the two by assigning
each its distinctive place, namely, the form
al style near the residence-provided that 1t
be of dignifed architectural style--or the
city entrance to the park, and the natural
istic style beyond this and next to the fields
or woods Thus the Dresden Park orig
inally small and formal, has been enlarged
by naturalistic grounds; while Central
Park, New York, planned on the natural
istic scheme, yet includes the mall ending
in terrace. Indeed, this composite style
may furthermore include, according to ia
vorable conditions, varieties such as a wa
ter garden, a bog marsh garden, a wild
garden and a sub-tropical garden, each with
its characteristic shrubs and herbs.
The picturesque style, which Is placed as
the third leading style, approximate this
wild variety, though, like others, may easily
expand into a whole park, as must happen
in mountainous districts. The Japanese
gardening also belongs to this variety,
which has irregularity as it's chief trait.
The avary and animal section need never
occupy more than one section Of a park In
a metropolitan park system; but free sing
ing birds and playful animals such as the
squirrel should enliven every park, great or
small, and will do so as soon as our preda-
tory habits have yielded to the mild inf1u-
ences of art.