The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-10-12
GARDENING IS GROWING ART Montgomery on Eve of
 Awakening. GOOD CLIMATE AND COUNTRY William (. Cook Talks Interesting ly of Local Adaptability. Presence of Distinguished Frederick oinstead Causes Talk of Re- aewed Interest in Planning :.
 Pictures on the Ground.
 
GOOD CLIMATE AND COUNTRY

Frederick L. Olmstead's visit to Montgomery to begin the scientific gardening of the Methodist woman's College campus. has led to talk of civic revival such as it is believed Montgomery has never experienced. His presence in the city and social propensities have caused renewed talk of landscape gardening.
 Interest in this art is expected to spread further than merely public grounds. Already owners of attrac- tive residences in Montgomery--and there are many Of thefsi--aFs beginning to talk of beautifying their yards.
 William c. Cook, now in Rdontgom- cry, himself an artist of established reputation, spoke interestingly Sunday of the progress of the gardening art.
 Landscape gardening is a compara- lively new art" said MT. Cook, "and may be said to have had its birth in America with the establishment of Central Park. in New York City. In the year following the Centennial Ex- position in Philadelphia, considerable interest was taken in the Eastern. States in this artistic style of garden ing. but 1t remained for the Worlds Fair to awaken the people of Chicago and the great West to the fact that such a thing as outdoor art existed.
 The graceful walks of the grounds added to the wildness of the wooded island blended with the architectural beauty of the Exposition buildings, was something for visitors long to re- member. Now, however, people over the entire country are taking a keen interest in this God-given art of beau tifying our homes and our cities.
 The past week has brought to our midst one of the greatest men in this profession, and his advent has greatly added to the growing interest among our citizens of taste and means. Now that the ball is started rolling, let it not stop until historic Montgomery shall be ranked as one of the most beautiful cities in the United States. With a little patience and care this can be accomplished. Nature has done wonders for the city in the matter of climate and in the undulating charac- ter of the country, which needs only knowledge. scientifically applied. to properly beautify and adorn.
 "A patch of poorly nourished sod, n scraggy rose bud and a lovely shrub. here and there, covers absolute bare- ness. but creates no pleasing picture upon which the eye may rest. This sort of gardening is mere patchwork. and has no connection with the real art of making the earth beautiful.
 The first essential, therefore, in landscape architecture is to secure a definite plan prepared by a person possessed of love for outdoor work and of an artistic temperament, for the more artistic his nature the more beautiful will his work be. In the best landscape work science and art meet and together they produce a picture on the ground.
 Tn addition to a thorough knowledge of jagffeulture, horticulture. and sur veying. the landscape artist must be <gs4aR far with the habits and growth of all trees, shrubs and flowers used in his work. and especially must he under stand climatic effects, for no work can be successfully carried out without due regards for the natural conditions under which growth must be made.
 A Man of Wide EducatIOn.
 "In short. the landscape gardener must be man of wide education and practical experience. He must be honest and gain and retain the conf dence of his clients. The average home owner knows practically nothing of trees and shrubs and has no means of knowing whether he is getting full value for hIs money. Practically speaking. it is better for the client to stipulate certain sum which he can afford to expend on his home sur roundings and leave the rest to the landscape gardener to plan.
 "A planting plan must be drawn If the grounds are of any considerable size. In this way, one Is enabled to form an idea of what both the cost and the appearance of the place will be.
 There are many phases to be con sidered in landscape work. The formal and informal garden. trees and shrubs suitable to contrast with the archtteo- tural style of the buildings, the lights haA nf ha TOIf ha rounding residences. the topography of the ground, the planting to hide un- slightly objects, or to seclude oneself from objectionable neighbors, all of which require experience and knowl- edge not found in the ordinary jobbing gardeners of our cities"
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