New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-07-06
BEAUTIFUL GARDENS.
Floscers of the English Wild and
american Border.

Am6T2CGn BOrd6r.
NATURES OWN GARDENS; Written and Illus
F ira ID in sS COLOR and Line ~ Maud l. Clarke
! TIE GARDEN BOOK OF CALIFORNIA BY
WTsh 5u4e6 6 A an Pa S by c Spencer
FOUR SEASONS IN THE GARDEN. BY Eben E.
EeXford. With TWenIy-seVen Illustrations and
with Decorations by Edward Stratton Holloway.
Emo PIP. @9l, J. B. Lippinoott Company.
The English gardens which Mrs Clarke so
eIoquenty and lovingly describes those of the
copse, the field, the moor the hedgerow and the
! brookside. Nowhere have wild flowers u more
delicious beauty than in England, whose mild.
moist climate seems to flush their petals with
wonderfully pure and rich color Who that has
seen the Maytime snow OF the hawthorn the
martial procession Of the purple foxgloves. the
sunny glory OF the primroses the blue mist of
the wild hyaCinth, ever forget those wild
flowers Of the mother country? The difficulties
of color printing have perhaps added something
Of garishness 10 Mrs. Clarkes rather ambitious
plates, but the fower-portraits are more or less
faithful. There is natural grace and delicacy in
the line drawings ilterspersed in the text The
wild blossoms Of every month Of the year are
dealt with. There are the hazel catkins in jan
uary. and, for freak, there is perhaps a pale
pink bramble flower There are possibilities of
small and beautiful things in very ordinary
places You can turn along a village road a
day that makes glad TO have the houses
between yourself and the wind, when the gaps
between them 10 be regretted. and there low
down inside some white palings. shivers little
plant holding aloft purple-pink flowers supported
among leaves that are purple tinted also at their
croWn-the red dead-nettle." Shy precursors
are these Of a splendid company, whose claims
are all impartialy considered by the author.
particularly interesting part Of the volume IS
the collection OF notes the possibilities to be
developed in private woodlands adjoining the
cultivated garden. Here could be introduced
masses OF the wild flowers adapted to the natural
tree growth-many and fascinating would be
the experiments. The American reader viii
find much that is suggestive in this book-will
discover, moreover that some Of the flowers
familiar denizens Of our own country
THE garden Of the world is California" says
Mrs. Angler; it is an assertion which would
doubtless be disputed by patriots from other
regions Of the world. The ideal home may be
made here" she adds, and that may be admitted,
though ideal" homes at;ainable under even
less favorable conditions of climate and scenery.
One Of the things needed in such n home. she
holds, is some common interest into which all
members of the family may throw themselves
temporarily. This interest is 70 be found in the
garden;-and starting upon this declaration she
proceeds 10 show in what fashion Il California
garden may be made. Some OF her suggestions
may appeal to the gardeners Of other climes.
Here is a strange plan for identifying the high
board fence that divides city backyard
from another: Wire netting fence of about three
feet in height, is most useful when used 10 form
long wall pockets for plants the surface Of
these same ugly board fences. The fencing
should be nailed against the boards very secure-
ly at edge. then bands OF iron or strips Of
wire may be passed around at intervals looping
the lower edge up so to make a hollow recep
tacle. This be lined with mos.T preferably
with live Iyc0podulns. and then filled with soil.
These rcceptacles are ideal for delicate vines
and ferns. and the inside Of the ugly board
fence can be entirely concealed from view by
cd g1,aGa
receptacles without damage. and the plants thus
kept fresh and beautiful" The authors plea
for the use of the garden house arbor, and per
COLA I'm comfortable and artistic forms is Of
greater value, for Americans only Begin
ming TO appreciate the pleasure and restfulness
10 he derived from such "out-of-door living
rooms"
Full of excellent sense as well Of horti-
cultural lore is Mr.. Rexfords book addressed
to the amateur gardener. He does not encourage
any elaborate experiments or predict glorious
results on insufficient foundations. The student
Of his pleasant pages can hardly fail to gather
thence useful working knowledge we'll as
contagious enthusiasm. The chapters on rural
and village improvement societies are 20 be
heartily commended to all small communities.
For q money making people we have been Singh
Iarly slow in recognizing the practical financial
value of Beauty The average village Is dotted
with "eye-sores" and its outskirts OF dole
ful uglness. Here is the outcome Of the efforts
Each summer affords fresh proof OF the Wis
dom Of our undertaking. Visitors from the city
compliment the spirit Of progress visible on
every hand. 1T doesn't look like the same place.
they tell us. You have made a model village OF
st. far az outside appearances go. Your side
walks put city pavements to shame because
Of their trustworthiness Your homes show thrift.
Your public places are kept in tidy condition
your homes are. and that's something that can't
be said Of many villages We Ike II here and we're
coming again" And they keep their word, and
village Is becoming quite summer resort SO
have found that what we have done with very
little Inconvenience TO ourselves has proved good
advertisement for the place and its people and the
present prospect is that shall get back many
times the labor and money expended In improve
ment, several sales of property have been made
at much better figures than prevailed before we
began our work. The increase in the value OF real
estate is directly attributable 70 the improvements
which have been made by our society
The details of the work done by this society
specially worth noting in that they show the
delightful effects of moderate and intelligent
labor rather than ~e profuse expenditure